Gossip Girl: The Next Generation
by moeexyz
Summary: It's 2030 and the Upper East Side has changed a lot over the years. Eric's not gay. Chuck and Blair have a secret love-child. But she's happily married to Nate...Or is she? Read to find out. CB but more about the new characters.
1. Happy New Year

_Hey. Well I've had this idea in my head for a while and a few days ago I decided to make it a fanfic. So I added a few characters, made a few storylines and BAM! I have a story!_

_I hope you guys enjoy it. Read. Review. Let me know what you think. Oh and I'm not very good with the commas, fullstops and other grammar stuff so don't bother trying to teach me, my English teacher's no better! And one more thing...I have quite a habit for starting a story but never finishing it so a lot of encouragement to continue would be nice, only if you want to of course!_

_So I guess now all that's left to say is enjoy..._

Disclaimer: I don't own Gossip Girl, I'm not nearly that creative. I don't own the characters either...except for the ones I made up.

---

**Gossip Girl: The Next Generation**

**Chapter One - Happy New Year  
**

**Hey people, Gossip Girl Jr here! Just reminding you all of the New Year party at the Humphrey home tonight. Everybody who's anybody was invited so I hope to see anyone that matters there. And make sure you find some one to kiss at midnight! You wouldn't want to ring in 2031 alone! I've got to finish getting ready but I'll see you all there.**

**You know you love me.**

**xoxo Gossip Girl Jr**

---

"Here we are Miss Bass" the driver said as the limo came to a stop. Taylor nodded to the driver and stepped out into the New York air. It was cold, she didn't like that. She wasn't very used to that type of weather but she put up with it because she knew she didn't have a choice. Her father didn't give her a choice. In fact her father had been very secretive lately and she didn't understand why. First he moved her across the country, then he sent her to a New Year's party with a bunch of people she didn't know and only said he'd join her later. But still Taylor put up with it because she loved her father and knew that he'd eventually tell her what all this was for. He never kept secrets from her and he never lied to her, that she was sure of.

As Taylor stepped inside the elevator she couldn't help but feel nervous. She may not have known the people she was going to see but some of them knew her, or at least had heard of her. To them she was only a rumor, only a few people really knew she existed for sure, and she didn't know exactly what to expect from those people.

When the elevator finally stopped and she stepped out she felt a rush run through her body, she would never admit it but she was terrified. She walked up to the tall blond woman greeting guests at the door and asked her "Are you Serena Humphrey?"

The woman looked at her, Taylor knew she recognized her, she was just wondering from when and where.

"Yes. Do you have an invitation?" Serena said to her. Taylor was surprised to hear the Serena's angelic voice. She'd heard it many times before in the movies Serena had starred in but it was strange meeting her in person.

"No but my father said once I got here I should talk to you" Taylor explained, "I'm Taylor Bass". Serena's expression changed from wonder to complete surprise.

"Oh my God! Taylor, you've grown so much!" Serena said to Taylor happily.

"You probably don't remember me but I was there when you were born, and now you're a teenager!"

Taylor just smiled awkwardly at the famous actress standing in front of her. Serena tilted her head as she looked Taylor up and down.

"You look just like you mother, except you have your father's cheekbones" Serena said.

"And his personality, or so I've heard" Taylor added. It was strange but she felt comfortable talking to Serena.

"So where is he?" Serena asked.

"Taking care of business. He told me to come here and he'll text me when her arrives, just as a warning notice" Taylor explained.

"Of course. Well come in, have a drink, meet everyone" Serena said welcomingly and brought the teenage girl into her large living room. A man with black hair and a short, stubbly beard walked towards them.

"And who's this?" He asked in a deep voice.

"Dan, this is Taylor" Serena began, "Taylor Bass." Dan raised his eyebrows at the information. "Taylor, this is my husband Dan" Serena introduced. Dan extended his hand for Taylor to shake.

"And I'm also your godfather" Dan added awkwardly. Taylor could tell that he wasn't sure what to say.

"Well Taylor, why don't you go around and talk to a few people? I just need to talk to Dan about something" Serena said to Taylor who just nodded shyly and walked away.

"Just don't tell them your name" Dan said to her. Taylor already knew not to do that. Her father had told her there was a few people who couldn't know she was here yet and Taylor had a few ideas why.

Once Taylor had left hearing range Dan turned to Serena and asked "What is going on?"

"I'm not sure" Serena replied, "but isn't this great, he's back! And he brought his daughter!"

"I don't think your looking at this the right way" Dan said to his wife.

"What's so bad about it?" Serena asked.

"What if some one asks her who her father is? What if some one recognizes her? What if she talks to Blair?" Dan said with a look of genuine concern on his face.

"What if who talks to me?" Blair asked as she joined the Humphrey couple.

"Georgina" Serena said thinking quick.

"You invited her?!" Blair asked angrily.

"No. She means at the parent-teacher meetings, next month" Dan improvised. Blair gave them a questioning look. She just nodded as if they were crazy and walked to her husband. Dan gave Serena a look that said that was a close one.

"We'll talk about this later okay, I'm going to find the kids, maybe they can make Taylor feel a bit at home" Serena said. She kissed her husband on the cheek and went off to find her children. She found them with their friends in the kitchen.

"Hey can I ask you guys a favor?" She asked her kids and their friends.

"Sure. What is it?" Audrey Archibald replied to Serena. Audrey was the younger, female version of her father. She was always very helpful and she seemed to look up to Serena. Serena realized that the Archibald daughters were only a few of the people that under no circumstances should run into Taylor.

"Never mind" Serena said and walked away from the group of teenagers.

"So how was your Christmas?" Audrey asked turning back to her friends.

"Great, except for I never got a present from you Joyce" A girl called Daphne Turner said mainly to Joyce. Daphne was the queen bee of Constance now and she was kind of a bitch. She had auburn wavy hair that went down to her shoulders. She had a huge crush on Joyce Lifton and everybody knew it. She was convinced that he liked he back even though he'd never asked her out or even kissed her, but she was planning on getting a kiss out of him tonight.

Joyce rolled his eyes at Daphne. She was a fine girl but she was extremely clingy and annoying. He was getting really sick of her, in fact tonight Joyce was just completely sick of the Upper East Side. Everyone had just been talking about their expensive holiday and the girls were having a competition on who got the most fashionable designer clothes for Christmas, and at this point Joyce just wanted to be alone.

"I'm going to get some air" Joyce announced to his friends and left the kitchen. Daphne got up to follow him but he told her not to. It worked seeing as Daphne did anything he told her to. It was handy at first but now it was just getting ridiculous.

Joyce walked back into the main room and out onto the balcony. He took out a packet of cigarettes from his pocket and lit one up. He hadn't had a smoke all day and this moment felt like heaven to him.

"I wish I'd brought cigarettes" He heard a voice say from beside him. Joyce jumped a little, he hadn't realized that he wasn't alone. He turned and saw a beautiful girl standing beside him. She had dark chestnut curls falling past her shoulders. She was wearing a chocolate colored gown that made her dark brown eyes stand out. She was very tanned for a New Yorker in winter and she seemed mesmerized by the city lights. She was holding a small bottle of scotch in her hand which Joyce found a little strange.

"Where'd you get the scotch?" Joyce asked, "Dan hates scotch, he'd never serve it at his party. I should know, I live with him."

"I always keep a spare bottle in my bag, just in case" The girl answered him.

"Your the first girl I've ever met who likes scotch" Joyce said slightly impressed at the girl before him.

"It's my dad's favorite drink. He practically lives off it. Only alcohol you can find in our house" the girl told him. She turned to look at him and smiled. He was very handsome. He had dark black hair and mystical blue eyes that seemed very easy to get lost in. She smiled at him, Taylor sure knew who she'd be kissing at midnight.

"Wanna switch" she asked him referring to the cigarette and the scotch. He nodded with a smirk. He sipped her scotch as she took a long puff of his cigarette.

"I love scotch" he whispered.

"Is Dan a strict dad?" Taylor asked him conversationally.

"He's not my dad, I just live with him" Joyce said.

"Is Serena your mom?" she asked him. He shook his head.

"My mom died a few years after I was born. She was friends with Serena and asked her to raise me" Joyce said.

"I'm sorry" Taylor said.

"It's okay, I'm used to telling people that story" Joyce said looking out at the city.

"I'm sure that doesn't include strangers though" Taylor said taking another puff of his cigarette.

"That's true, but I don't normally share cigarettes and scotch with strangers either" He said turning back to look at her again, she looked very familiar but very unique at the same time. He thought she looked like a younger version of Mrs Archibald, but there was something different about her face. She truly was a beautiful girl. For some reason, maybe out of impulse, he told her that. She blushed a little but smiled at him. She really did look like Mrs Archibald, only she was much more beautiful. The resemblance was uncanny though.

She was about to say something to him but her phone rang from her bag. She took it out and started reading a message she'd just received. Joyce just watched her as she replied to the sender.

"I've gotta go tell Serena something but I'll be back" Taylor said to him and walked back inside, leaving the mystery boy waiting for her.

She scanned the room for the famous blond actress. She finally spotted he talking to a woman with the exact same chestnut colored hair as her. Taylor knew who she was, she'd seen pictures of her before but it hadn't actually hit her that they were in the same room for the first time in seventeen years. She walked towards the two women but stopped about two meters away. Serena noticed her and excused herself from the conversation so she could talk to Taylor.

"He's here" Taylor informed her. Serena nodded and went to meet up with him but Taylor stopped her.

"That woman your talking to, is that my..." Taylor couldn't finish the question. Serena nodded unsure of what to make of this.

"She hasn't changed since your graduation, I've my dad's old yearbook" Taylor told Serena.

"Why don't you go back to the balcony, I'll tell your father where you are" Serena said. Taylor nodded and walked away. Serena turned around only to go face to face with Blair.

"Who was that?" Blair asked suspiciously. Serena started brainstorming on a way to make Blair completely forget what she'd just asked her.

"Chuck's here" she said to her best friend.

"Bass?" Blair asked, Serena's trick clearly had worked.

"Do you know any other Chuck?" Serena said to her and walked away to meet up with the man who once was her step-brother.

"What's going on?" Nate said to his wife as he joined her only seconds after Serena had left.

"Chuck's here" Blair said angrily.

"Bass?" Nate asked.

"Do you know any other Chuck?" Blair replied with Serena's answer and ran after her best friend. Nate followed her, eager to see the man for the first time in seventeen years. Blair called out after Serena trying to stop her but once they'd reached the hall it was to late. Serena was standing outside the open elevator doors and Blair saw him step out. He was as handsome as he had been last time she'd seen him. He looked like he hadn't shaved in a while but he still looked gorgeous. His hair was combed to one side and he was wearing an expensive looking navy suit.

"Hey Chuck!" Serena exclaimed and hugged the man before her.

"S, good to see you off screen for once" Chuck said to her in his low seductive voice. It hadn't changed at all.

"I'm surprised you've seen any of my movies" Serena said slightly impressed that he bothered.

"Only the porno ones" Chuck said with a smirk and Serena slapped him playfully on the arm.

"Well look who's back in New York" Nate said from beside Blair.

"Nathaniel, long time no see" Chuck said walking over to his old best friend and shaking his hand. Chuck turned to look at the goddess standing beside Nate.

"Waldorf, or should I say Archibald now" Chuck said, his previous smirk wiping of his face.

"Chuck" Blair said through gritted teeth.

"How about we go inside, catch up on everything" he said to everyone but kept his eyes on Blair. The four of them entered the room, Blair lingering behind the other three.

"Chuck Bass, it's been a while" Dan said joining the past foursome.

"Daniel" Chuck said nodding towards Dan, neither of them really liked each other but they'd learned to respect each other and act civil.

"So tell us about California" Nate said to Chuck. Blair didn't want to hear about Chuck's successful life in California so she walked away to find some one that could distract her.

Chuck told Nate and Serena about his life and his job, he told them everything excluding his daughter of course. After half an hour of talking he excused himself and went to get himself a drink.

"What are you doing here?" Blair asked walking up to him.

"Well I'm parched" Chuck said wittily.

"I meant in New York" Blair said angrily. Chuck just smirked, he missed winding her up like this. Blair rolled her eyes at her former love.

"Nate tells me you named your first Archibald offspring Audrey, when I asked why he said you told him that you first born daughter's name had to be Audrey because that's how things were supposed to be" Chuck said starting a conversation Blair didn't want to get into.

"Well, I wanted to erase my previous mistakes and doing things right was the way to do it" Blair said to him. She was trying her best not to let him get to her.

"Yes well your _previous mistake_ is out on the balcony. Would you like to meet her?" Chuck said. Blair was speechless.

"But...I made Serena bring her to an orphanage, even I didn't know where she was! Did you hire a private investigator?" Blair said even more angrily than before.

"No, just Dan Humphrey. You didn't honestly expect Serena to keep this from her other half" Chuck said. Blair was outraged. She didn't know who she was angrier at, Serena for telling Dan where she'd sent Taylor or Chuck for secretly bringing her to California with him.

"So, what's she like?" Blair asked. She wasn't sure what else to say to him except that.

"Me" Chuck answered, "she looks like you though. Made it kind of hard to raise her, I mean every time she smiled..." Chuck trailed off. Blair looked down, she knew she'd hurt Chuck in the past, in fact it had only hit her now that that last time they had seen each other they were fighting.

"I'm going to check on her. If you want to talk to her that's fine, but I told her everything so don't be surprised if it takes her time" Chuck said to Blair.

"Everything?" Blair said. He just nodded and walked towards the balcony.

---

Taylor had been talking to Joyce for a long while now. She still didn't know his name but she liked him, he was nice and funny. They'd just been standing there smoking and drinking scotch while switching stories about California and New York. Joyce felt a little tipsy at this point, he didn't know whether it was because she was beautiful of because of the scotch but he turned to the mystery girl and asked "Will you kiss me at midnight?" Taylor smiled seductively.

"Why wait till midnight?" she said and kissed him deeply. He tasted like scotch and cigarettes but then again so did she. Their kiss got deeper and deeper. She was very talented at this, another talent she'd inherited from her father. Joyce was quite skilled as well but Taylor had had better, she'd just never admit it to him. The kiss was good but they heard the balcony door open behind them. They broke apart and turned to see who it was. Taylor's father stood their smirking at his daughter and her mystery man.

"Daddy! This is..." Taylor began until she realized that she still didn't know his name.

"Joyce" Joyce informed the two. Taylor smiled at her dad.

"Always use protection" Chuck said to them and went back into the main room. Taylor blushed a little and Joyce laughed.

"Your dad is awesome" Joyce said to her.

"I know" Taylor said smugly.

"So you know my name, what's yours?" Joyce asked her. Taylor decided to play a little game with him. She winked at him and followed her father into the main room. Joyce tagged along behind her. Taylor walked to over to one of the waiters to get a drink, Joyce followed her but was stopped by Mrs Van Der Woodsen, or Jenny as she preferred it.

Jenny and Eric had started dating a few months after he had decided he wasn't gay. At this point the whole Upper East Side had forgotten about it.

"Joyce, have you seen Eric?" Jenny asked the teenage boy.

"No sorry" Joyce said impatiently.

"Well if you see him can you tell him I'm looking for him?" Jenny said. Joyce nodded and ran after Taylor.

Jenny turned back around to the man she was talking to.

"So you were saying you're a private investigator" Jenny said to him.

"Yes, I've worked on a case for at least five people in this room" the man said to Jenny.

"Have you ever worked for Bart Bass in the past because my husband told me that Bart had a few PIs" Jenny said to the man.

"I haven't worked for Bart Bass but I recognize the name" he said.

"He was very well-known. He was in a car crash in 2008" Jenny said to the PI.

"Oh yes I found out who murdered him" the PI said remembering the case.

"He was murdered?" Jenny asked curiously.

"Yes by Georgina Sparks. She got a hit man to crash into Bart's limo about twenty-three years ago" the PI told her. He then realized his mistake and added "But you don't know this!" Jenny just stared at him in shock.

"Jen" some one said from behind her making her jump. She turned around to see her husband standing behind her.

"Jake wants to introduce his girlfriend to the family" Eric told his beloved wife. Jake was Dan and Serena's youngest offspring. He'd just started high school and he was very loyal to his family so it was only normal that he wanted them to meet his new girlfriend first. The Van Der Woodsen couple walked over to where Serena and Dan and the other Humphrey children and Van Der Woodsen children were standing.

"Well guys" Jake began. He was blond like his mother but he had all his father's features.

"I called you all here because I want you to meet my new girlfriend" he said to his family.

"Well go on, we're all dying to know" his older sister Valerie said to him sarcastically. Valerie was very much like her mother in personality, but she had her father's dark hair and brown eyes.

"Okay everyone, meet my girlfriend" Jake said, "Phoebe Sparks."

Jenny smiled awkwardly. She didn't know whether to say something or to just smile and nod like the rest of them. She wasn't the only one who was speechless. Serena had raised her eyebrows and let her jaw drop a little.

Phoebe had come to join her open armed boyfriend. She looked like her mother in many ways only instead of having Georgina's bright blue eyes she had tropical hazel ones. Some of her facial features were different from Georgina's. Her nose was shaped differently and her chin was longer, probably inherited from her father, whoever he was. The parents just watched as the kids congratulated their brother or cousin. Dan and Serena glanced at each other worriedly.

"So Mom, Dad what do you think?" Jake asked addressing his parents. Serena didn't answer. She knew if she did she'd wouldn't be able to stop herself from saying everything Georgina had done to her.

"She seems very nice" Dan said knowing exactly what his wife was feeling.

"Hello, hello. What's happening here" Chuck said joining the tension-filled family.

"Chuck, where's Taylor?" Serena said pretending that the last five minutes never happened.

"Oh she's off making out with some boy called Joyce" Chuck said simply like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Joyce?" Dan repeated a little surprised. Chuck nodded.

"Oh dear lord" Dan said to himself and went towards the balcony, Chuck followed him wondering why the over-reaction.

"What's so bad about Joyce" Chuck asked suddenly feeling a little worried for his daughter.

"He's my adoptive son, very close to the Archibald daughters. Nate loves him, he's always giving him advice on love" Dan said. They both knew what this meant. If Joyce talked to Nate he was bound to find out who Taylor's father was, or even worse, who her mother was. The two concerned father's scanned the room to find the couple. They spotted the two standing beside each other, both with a drink in hand. Taylor had a champagne flute while Joyce had a small bottle of scotch.

"Where'd he get that scotch?" Dan thought out loud.

"Taylor" Chuck mumbled cynically. He knew only _his_ daughter would bring a bottle of scotch to a New Year's party. The two men started to walk across the room to their children.

Blair and Serena started tapping a champagne flute with a fork to grab everyone's attention.

"Everybody, there's only ten seconds to go" Blair said putting an arm around Nate as Serena searched the room for Dan.

"Nine..."

Dan and Chuck rushed past a group of middle-aged women neither of them knew.

"Eight..."

One after the other, they elbowed their way through the people counting down.

"Seven, six, five..."

The two were getting closer but it seemed like the nearer they got, the more people got in their way.

"Three, two..."

They were nearly there.

"One. Happy New Year!" Everyone without some one to kiss called out. Chuck and Dan finally reached their children only to see them both kissing for New Year's. The couple broke apart laughing from all the alcohol. They turned to see their fathers watching them in shock. Dan sighed in relief, at least Joyce hadn't found Nate yet. Dan checked to see if Nate had seen them only to see him and Blair kissing each other like all happily married people do. From the corner of his eyes Dan spotted Chuck watching them too, he thought he saw a sad glint in Chuck's eyes but it went away before he could make sure of it.

"Dan?" Joyce brought Dan's attention back to the tipsy teenagers.

"You're not allowed speak to Nate Archibald about this one" Dan said to the boy he had learned to love like a son. Joyce gave him a questioning look but Dan just gave him a warning glance and walked away to find Serena and apologize for not being there when the ball dropped. Chuck was still entranced by the sight of Mr and Mrs Archibald in love. Taylor noticed this. She knew what he was looking at and she knew who they were and what Chuck felt about them. She gave her father a hug and whispered "It's gonna be a good year Daddy."

---

**Hey people! GGJr here, I've come to tell you what I witnessed at the Humphrey party. Little Jake Humphrey introduced his darling Pheebs to his darling family. The parentals didn't seem to thrilled to meet her though? Could it have anything to do with her mommy dearest?**

**Joyce Lifton/Humphrey was spotted making out countless of times with mystery girl. Rumor has it she's from California. She looked a lot like Mrs Archibald. I wonder why that is. Speaking of the Upper East Side's favorite mommy, you'll never guess who's back in town. It's B's former love Chuck Bass. We've all heard of Bass industries, well he's the owner! I wonder if he has any connection with Joyce's California girl. One thing's for sure though, Daphne's not gonna be pleased to here this, so who's going down? Joyce? Cali Girl? Or both?**

**You know you love me**

**xoxo Gossip Girl Jr**

---

_Did you like it? Want me to continue? I know it's very confusing but secrets are revealed throughout the story and everything will make more sense._

_Anyway review please._

_-Marina  
_


	2. When The Truth Comes Out

_Heya! First of all I want to say thank you to everyone who reviewed, I'm glad you all liked it so much! Next thing I'd like to say is, throughout the first few chapters of this story things will be kind of confusing, but don't worry by the end all will be revealed (if I ever reach the end)._

_I hope you guys like this chapter. We find out more about what happened when Taylor was born and how The Archibalds and The Basses handle it._

_Enjoy!_

_---  
_

**Chapter Two - When The Truth Comes Out  
**

The Archibald family entered their grand house after hours of celebrating the start of 2031. Nate and Audrey entered first. Blair and Nate's second daughter Janie entered after them. Janie was a freshman at Constance and she was very smart. She was a drama-queen like her mother and often consulted her mother for help with her boyfriend Lawrence Van Der Woodsen. Janie had her father's blond hair but it was curly like her mother's. She also had her mother's dark brown eyes.

Behind Janie was her mother. She hadn't spoken since they left the Humphrey penthouse and she completely avoided speaking to any of them, especially Nate. Janie had a feeling she knew why. Ever since that man Chuck Bass arrived at the party, her mother wasn't herself. She was more fidgety and anxious. Janie didn't think Audrey or her father had noticed though. Those two were so naive, it was ridiculous.

"Mom, what's wrong?" Janie asked subtly. She wanted her father and sister to hear but not to be that interested, Janie liked being the smart one.

"Nothing's wrong honey" Blair said to her youngest daughter.

"Something is, I mean you've been acting weird since that Mr Bass got here" Janie said to her mother. Nate froze in his steps and Audrey stopped with him. Blair just stood there unsure of what she should or shouldn't say.

"That's because Mr Bass and your mother have a bit of history and they haven't seen each other in years" Nate said hoping that was the only reason. Blair thought now that Chuck was here with _her_ she probably couldn't hide the truth much longer so she decided to just get it over with before some one else told them.

"Actually there's something I need to tell you all" Blair said quietly with a sigh. The three blond Archibalds all looked at her listening intently. Nate nodded for her to say whatever it was she needed to tell them.

"Well, the year that Nate and I got engaged he was very busy with work. He'd work very long hours and I only saw him for about an hour a day" Blair began, "And I got a bit lonely. Spending time with Serena helped but I needed a man's love too. So I..." she trailed off in shame.

"You slept with him" Janie said for her, catching on a little faster then her sister. Blair nodded. Nate looked away. He felt angry, sad and betrayed at the same time.

"That's okay" Nate finally said, "that's in the past, now we can forget about it." Blair sighed, she didn't want to tell him about Taylor but she knew she had to.

"Actually there's more" Blair said. Nate still didn't look at her but Audrey and Janie gave her their full attention.

"You see after I slept with Chuck I felt different, so I took a pregnancy test and it was positive. I didn't want you to find out so I told Serena and Chuck and we figured out a way to make things work. Remember I told you to postpone the wedding because I had to go away on business for a few months?"

Nate nodded.

"Well I wasn't out on business. I was actually staying with Serena and Dan. They helped me out with everything and Chuck stopped by everyday, the three of them took care of me for nine months" Blair said to her family. At this point both Nate and Janie looked away.

"We had a baby girl, Taylor. After Chuck had left the hospital to take care of some business I told Serena to bring Taylor to an orphanage because she couldn't exist. I knew if you found out you'd never marry me. Serena put her in an orphanage in New Jersey, I had no idea where Taylor was. She told Dan and Dan told Chuck, so Chuck took her to California with him and never told anybody. Only Serena knew about it" Blair was almost crying at this point. Her husband and youngest daughter couldn't even look at her and the daughter who could had a look of hatred and disgust.

"So that girl at their party, the one that looked like you, she's our half-sister?" Audrey thought out loud. Blair just looked down and nodded. Nate turned and walked to his office, he couldn't bare to be in the same room as her anymore. Janie followed, only she went to her own bedroom. Audrey didn't move. She just stood there overwhelmed by the whole situation. Tears rolled down Blair's eyes. She couldn't stand this. Nate hating her was fine, she knew it would happen eventually, but not her own daughters.

---

Nate sat at his desk. He didn't know who he was angrier at, Blair or Chuck. He wanted to find Chuck, wherever he was staying, and beat the crap out of him. He also wanted to just kick Blair out of the house, he couldn't bare to even look at her. He picked up the phone on his desk and dialed the number of The Palace.

"Hello?" The secretary answered. He was surprised some one did since it was two in the morning.

"Hi, can you please put me through to Chuck Bass' room?" Nate said unsure exactly of what he'd say to Chuck.

"One moment" the secretary said and moments later Nate could here Chuck's low voice through the phone.

"Hello?" Chuck said.

"Is she really Blair's daughter?" Nate asked. He knew it was a stupid way to start a conversation but he didn't know what else to say. Chuck didn't speak but Nate could hear him breathing through the phone.

"Yes" Chuck finally answered quietly. Nate sighed. It was one thing to hear it from Blair, hearing it confirmed by Chuck made him feel much worse.

"She never meant to hurt you Nate, she was just lonely" Chuck said, he knew what Nate thought of Blair now.

"She could have talked to me" Nate said.

"She didn't know how" Chuck explained on behalf of his former love.

"You're no better" Nate said remembering that Chuck was still his best friend at the time.

"I know" Chuck said quietly, "I'm sorry. I didn't do it to hurt you, it was just..." he trailed off. "It was just that, I still loved her" he admitted. Nate sighed again. He couldn't hate Chuck for not getting over her, the two were very in love and it was Blair's idea to break it off. Neither friend said anything, they both knew there was nothing really left to say.

"Give it time Chuck. Maybe someday we can be friends again" Nate said breaking the silence.

"I doubt that" Chuck half whispered and the two men hung up.

---

Janie sat in front of her computer, eyes glued to the screen. She was looking at the archives for Gossip Girl from when her mother was _Queen B_. She read post after post, slowly learning more and more about her mother's past with Chuck Bass. Janie knew they had history she just never realized just how much. They were a serious couple, so in love, Janie could tell from the way he looked at her in the pictures. It made Janie said that it was Chuck getting the love-filled looks and not her father. She always imagined her parents together before she and her sister were born, she never really realized that they had dated other people before settling down together and it made her sad because she knew for a fact that her mother has never looked at Nate the way she was looking at Chuck in the picture.

"That was in senior year" Janie heard her mother's voice say from behind her. Janie didn't reply, she didn't want to speak to her mom at all.

"I'm sorry I kept this from you for so long" Blair said quietly.

"It's okay. I mean, so what if I have an older sister I never knew about? It's no big deal" Janie said. Blair wondered when Janie had gotten so sarcastic.

"I hid this from you because I was ashamed and embarrassed that I could let something like that happen to me, and I didn't want to ruin things with your father."

"Well it's a little late for that" Janie said quietly. Blair sighed. There was a silence for a few minutes. Janie's mind was racing. She wanted to yell, she wanted to cry. Eventually she just decided to let it all out.

"Why did you even bother mom? I can tell from pictures that you loved him more than dad, that parts obvious! Why didn't you just dump dad and save us all the misery and embarrassment?" she shouted, "I bet you love her more then us too!"

"I don't even know her" Blair said not really confirming or denying Janie's accusations.

"But you want to" Janie uttered without looking at her mother. Blair tried to hug Janie but she just sat still.

"Janie, please" her mother begged but Janie was having none of it. She got up and locked herself in her bathroom. Blair just sat there watching the door, hoping that her daughter would change her mind. She wasn't surprised when she didn't, Audrey had been the same. They'd both inherited her stubbornness. Blair just sat and thought about what Janie had said to her. She was right, she did want to know Taylor and she did love Chuck more than Nate, but that was in the past, right?

Instead of sitting on her daughter's bed and asking herself the same questions she had when she was a teenager, Blair got up and went to find one of the house phones. When she found it she dialed the number of VIP suite at the palace, she knew if Chuck was coming back to town he'd take that suite until he bought a place. It rang twice before Blair heard Chuck's voice answer from the other line.

"It's me" she said coldly.

"I spoke to Nate a while ago" Chuck said after a little awkward pause. They didn't need to start conversations with "hellos" and "how are yous", they had always been that way.

"So you know I told them?" Blair asked, making sure they were both on the same page.

"Yes" Chuck said simply.

"I want to know her Chuck" Blair stated formally. She didn't like the mushy feelings type of talk when it came to Chuck. That would only open old doors.

"That's not really up to me" he said, "I'll do it if she wants to."

"Well right now you're the only link I have with her" Blair said.

"That's not my fault" Chuck said. Blair knew what he was doing, he knew she felt terribly guilty and he was trying to make it worse, it made Blair more human to him.

"I'll talk to her" Chuck finally said and hung up. There was no need for "goodbyes" either.

"Who was that?" Taylor asked her father even though she didn't really care.

"Your mother" Chuck said, grabbing her attention. "She wants to meet you."

Taylor didn't say anything. She wasn't quite sure if she wanted to know her mother. Chuck had told her everything Blair had done, everything he had felt for her, and all the ways she had hurt him. Taylor didn't know if she wanted to know that person.

"I know she's not your favorite person in the world but why not give her a chance?" Chuck said trying to convince his daughter.

"Because, after everything she did to you, after abandoning me. She doesn't sound like a nice person" Taylor said.

"She's nice once you get to know her, you just have to put a little effort into trying" Chuck said. He wouldn't give up, he couldn't. Taylor didn't reply. Blair never seemed pleasant when Chuck talked about her, but maybe that was because she'd hurt him and he didn't have many nice things to say.

"Why do you want me to meet her?" she asked her dad.

"Because every girl needs her mother" Chuck answered.

"I've been just fine without one" Taylor said.

"You won't always be" Chuck said quietly. Taylor didn't understand what he meant but he looked sad when he said it so she thought it better not to ask.

"She just seems so..." Taylor trailed off. She didn't know what Blair seemed like. She had heard so many different stories about her it was like there was two Blair's, Nate's boring Blair and Chuck's amazing Blair, and Taylor had a feeling that the majority of the time she was Nate's boring Blair.

"She gets better, first impressions are never right with Blair" Chuck said.

"What was your first impression of her?" Taylor asked.

"She was the girl who was hopelessly in love with Nate" Chuck said with a fake smirk, Taylor knew there was nothing there to really smirk about.

"She wasn't _that_ girl in your old yearbook" Taylor teased.

"That's 'cause she was _my_ girl in my old yearbook, which I would like back soon by the way" Chuck said and Taylor just smiled innocently. She looked so much like Blair it scared Chuck sometimes. It was hard raising her while being reminded of his former love everyday but it was nice too, brought back some great memories.

"You know what keep it, that's the side of Blair I want you to know" Chuck said. His daughter smiled at him again. She gave him one of her genuine daughterly affection hugs and walked off to her room. Once she got there she took out her father's old yearbook and started flicking through it. All that talk had got her in the mood for seeing those old pictures. She liked it, her dad looked happy in those days.

She reached a picture of all the seniors in a group. She looked at Serena, she was as beautiful now as she was in her youth. Nate sat beside her. His hair looked longer and he wore a lop-sided smile on his face. Beside Nate was Dan, and then her parents. Blair sat on Chuck's lap with her arms around him. She was laughing at something and every time Taylor saw that picture she wondered what it was that was so funny. Chuck just looked up at her smiling. It was a genuine smile, not his usual smirk. There was love in his eyes, the same in hers. Taylor wondered when that love had faded. Her father had told her many times that it was because they couldn't stop fighting and it just didn't work for them anymore, but when Taylor thought about it it was always like that for them, even when they started dating. That's just how they were.

She turned the page and saw a few picture of people she didn't know, and then there was another one of her parents. This time Chuck was holding Blair up like newly wedded couples do. She was wearing his scarf and smiling sweetly for the camera. He just had his usual smirk but it wasn't as empty as it was nowadays. Under the photo there was a caption saying _couple of the year: Chuck Bass and Blair Waldorf. May they live forever in happiness_. Taylor laughed at the irony of this caption, whoever wrote it couldn't be more wrong. Taylor closed the book. That Blair that she'd just seen, that was the woman she wanted for her mother. She wondered if somewhere deep down that Blair still existed. She sure hoped so because in all her life she'd never seen some one that made her father more happy to be alive.

---

Audrey sat alone in her room. She'd spent the last hour thinking about her parents and Chuck Bass, and the girl from the party who supposedly was her half sister. She didn't know what she made of this. She had always wanted an older sister to give her advice, some one to look up to. She had tried her mother but she was distant, her mother was a completely different person to Audrey. Audrey had always been more like her father.

Audrey was angry but she wasn't sure who to be angry at. She knew she hated her mother but she didn't know why exactly, it wasn't exactly her fault she got pregnant and in fairness she kept it a secret to protect her family from getting hurt by the truth. She hated Chuck Bass for being the man who could bring her mother away from Nate. She hated Nate for not being the man Blair needed him to be. But most of all she hated Taylor for being there to ruin the perfect family Audrey had spent her whole life living in. Audrey wasn't that kind of girl though, she was too nice to hold grudges so in the end she didn't hate her mother and father, or Mr Bass and his daughter.

Instead of just sitting in her room trying to hate the people who were screwing up her life, she pulled out her mother's favorite movie and started watching.

She watched as the woman she was named after, slowly made _George Peppard'_s character fall in love with her. She always knew that was the type of woman her mother aspired to be, she just wondered if in Blair's mind _George Peppard_ was Chuck or Nate.

Audrey heard her door creak open but she still kept her eyes glued to the television. She didn't want to talk to anyone anyway so it's not like it really mattered who it was.

"I suppose you hate me too" Blair said quietly to Nate and her's first offspring.

"Well it's not really rocket science" Audrey replied coldly.

"Can I watch with you?" Blair asked. Audrey didn't want to be completely cruel to her mother, Audrey was the only one who believed there was still hope for their family anyway.

"Do whatever you want" Audrey said. It wasn't exactly a nice way to let her mom know she didn't hate her but Blair understood.

So the mother and daughter sat on Audrey's bed watching the movie that Blair had memorized off by heart.

---

Chuck sat behind his dark mahogany desk. The room was filled with cardboard boxes seeing as he and Taylor had only moved there a week before, he hadn't gotten much time to unpack anything. He sat there in darkness staring at the wallpaper. He had done this often in the last seventeen years, whenever something happened that he couldn't control, he'd just sit alone in a dark room for a while, thinking. The silence made his thoughts louder and clearer.

Right now, he was thinking about what must be happening at the Archibald house. He was very aware that Blair's recent revelation must have just ruined their whole perfect family image. Chuck couldn't help but feel guilty, he felt like he was responsible for all of this. Mostly because he brought Taylor back to the Upper East Side. It wasn't like he had much of a choice, he didn't want to come back, he didn't want to face all the problems he had buried when he ran away to California.

Chuck Bass never did anything he didn't want to without a reason, he just couldn't bring himself to tell anyone what that reason was, even though he knew he was running out of time with every minute that went by.

So, instead of worrying about silly reasons he sat alone in his office trying to figure out who was more of a bad guy to the Archibald daughters, him or Blair?

Chuck hated that he had to do this, he didn't want to ruin their family, none of them deserved that, but he didn't exactly know what else to do.

He also hated that he had to make Taylor meet all these snobby and pretentious Upper East Siders who were all going to hate her for who she was and how she was born. Taylor was lucky that she was a charming girl because on the Upper East Side being a love-child isn't a good thing, people would judge her and gossip about her and Chuck hated that he had to make her a part of that world. He'd been in it before and it made everything in his life more complicated.

When he had moved to California he had sworn to himself that he wouldn't let Taylor live that life. That's why he never lied to her, and that's why the are so close. He gave her freedom, he let her date whoever she wanted and try anything she wanted because he knew that she had to learn herself, and after his youth he'd be a hypocrite to stop her. He let Taylor be herself and he was proud of her in every way, and she knew it. That's why she was a daddy's girl and she wasn't ashamed of it.

Chuck took a sip of the scotch glass in front of him. That glass never moved. It always just stayed on his desk and no one ever really knew how but it never ran out of scotch.

The next few months were gonna be hard but he had to make it work, for Taylor.

---

_Yes I know it's confusing but like I said at the start thing's will eventually start to make sense. Hope you liked it._

_-Marina_


	3. First Days And Second Chances

_Hey! In this Chapter Taylor has her first day of Constance. We learn more about the characters I made up myself and Blair talks to her daughter for the first time in seventeen years..._

_Hope you like!  
_

**Chapter Three - First Days And Second Chances**

"Taylor get up! You'll be late for school" Rosalina, the Basses new maid said trying to shake Taylor awake. It had been a week since the Humphrey's party and Taylor had spent all her nights since then exploring the bars of New York City.

"I don't want to go to school" Taylor groaned. She really didn't. She missed her old school and friends and she definitely didn't want the _new kid at school _hassle. She wasn't afraid of trying to make friends, she'd always been good at that, but she didn't want to move on from her California lifestyle.

She went to public school in California. No silly uniforms, no snobby rich kids and the boys and girls were mixed together.

"Well that's too bad, your father is waiting for you downstairs" Rosalina said to her. Taylor groaned again and sat up in her bed. She saw the perfectly ironed uniform lying on a chair near the window and sighed, there was no getting out of this.

She put on her uniform, fixed her hair in a perfect ponytail and put on her make up so that it looked like she was born with the perfect face, too be honest even without make up it wasn't far from it.

Once she was ready she entered the kitchen to see her father with a cup of coffee in front of him, he was reading the New York Times but he seemed bored with whatever it was he was reading.

She sat across from him and grabbed a bagel, she then did a very heavy fake sigh. He didn't look up from his newspaper but just kept on reading. She tried her sigh again. Chuck didn't move, he just glanced up at his daughter. Taylor tried a little pout and puppy dog eyes.

"You're going to school" Chuck commanded her, Taylor groaned again.

"I know you miss your old school but now you live here, so you'll attend school here" Chuck said sternly, he still didn't look at her.

"But daddy, everyone there's gonna be a rich snob, I'm gonna hate them all and you know it." Taylor complained.

"Not all of them, you'll eventually find one decent person" Chuck said.

"Yeah but, there's no boys in my class" she complained again.

"There was no girls in my class and I survived just fine" Chuck said.

"Please," Taylor scoffed nonchalantly, "you've only ever loved one woman who had a baby with you then went off and married your best friend."

Chuck flinched in his seat. Taylor had hit a nerve, once she'd noticed she tried to change the subject quickly.

"Fine, I'll go, but if I turn into an annoying Upper East Side princess you'll have no one to blame but yourself" Taylor said jokingly. Chuck just gave her a genuine smile. Taylor gave her father a hug and left for school.

---

**Spotted: Cali Girl getting out of a limo in front of Constance. Looks like she's here to stay. I don't think Daphne's gonna be to happy to hear this, but will Joyce?**

**xoxo Gossip Girl Jr**

Daphne Turner shut her phone and rolled her eyes. All Gossip Girl seemed to be talking about lately was this _Cali Girl_ but Daphne had never ran into her, she didn't run into her at the Humphrey's party and she knew that Joyce wouldn't try anything with any other girls unless he wanted to face her wrath. She turned to Audrey and asked, "Have you ever seen this Cali Girl?"

"Yeah, she was at the Humphrey party" Audrey said blankly. She'd been a little distant recently.

"I don't remember her" Margaret James, Daphne's best friend said to her. That was a lie, Margaret had seen her but she knew that that wasn't what Daphne wasn't to hear.

"So you think the thing with Joyce is just a stupid rumor?" Daphne asked. Audrey and Margaret both nodded, neither of them liked breaking bad news to Daphne, she had a temper.

"It better be" Daphne said in a warning tone. Margaret made a terrified face at Audrey which just made her laugh.

"What?" Daphne asked, still with an evil glare in her eyes.

"Oh I was just laughing at her outfit. That sweater is totally last season and her skirt is shorter than slut short" Audrey said saving herself.

"I know right" Daphne said bitchily.

The three girls walked onwards towards their school. Daphne and Margaret were both in their junior year while Audrey was still a sophomore but since Audrey was the infamous _Queen B_'s daughter, the two girls took her under their wing.

Once they reached the they met up with Joyce and his best friend Freddie Sualave who was also Margaret's boyfriend. Freddie was a big jock, he was extremely good-looking but since he had a girlfriend people tended to just notice Joyce, he didn't mind though.

"So Joyce what's all this stuff I've been hearing about you and a certain California Girl?" Daphne asked the boy she was dying to date. Freddie, Margaret and Audrey all stood to the side to see what was going to happen. They all knew that Joyce didn't have any sort of feelings towards Daphne, so the outcome of this wasn't going to be pretty.

"Depends. What exactly have you heard?" Joyce replied, trying to hide a smile, Daphne was so pathetic that it made him laugh.

"That you made out with her at the Humphrey party" Daphne said giving him an ice-cold glare.

"Is that so? Well, I must be in a lot of trouble with you then" he said, this time he let his menacing smile appear across his face. He gave Daphne a wink and walked off to his first class.

Daphne's face filled with rage, Joyce had better watch his back or else he could end up crucified. Margaret was trying really hard to suppress a laugh, after all, Daphne's enraged face was always a hilarious sight. Audrey's face was expressionless. She knew exactly who _Cali Girl_ was and who her parents were, and seeing as Joyce was a close friend of her's, she didn't want to end up having to meet her half-sister.

"That girl better watch her back" Audrey said to them quietly and walked off to class. Freddie followed after, giving Margaret a kiss before joining Joyce in Maths. Margaret turned to Daphne and asked "do you think she'll be in any of our classes?"

"I hope so" Daphne said, "I want to give her a piece of my mind."

They went into English class, and took the two seats at the back of the classroom. Their English teacher Mr Bykess arrived shortly after and the class began. Mr Bykess was a few minutes into reading the class a poem when the classroom door swung open.

"Sorry I'm late, I got lost" a girl with chestnut curls said gasping for air, she had clearly been running a lot.

"And you are?" Mr Bykess asked.

"Taylor Bass, I'm new" Taylor said handing a note to her teacher, explaining everything.

"Alright well, you can sit at the back beside Margaret" Mr Bykess said and continued reading his poem but nobody was listening. Everyone's attention was on Taylor, as she walked over to the empty seat at the back of the classroom. Daphne and Margaret gave each other knowing glances and so Margaret turned to Taylor and said "so you must be the infamous _Cali_ _Girl_."

"What?" Taylor said completely lost.

"On Gossip Girl" Margaret explained.

"What's Gossip Girl?" Taylor asked. Daphne smirked from behind Margaret. Taking Taylor down was gonna be easier than she thought.

"Never mind. I'm Margaret" Margaret introduced herself.

"Taylor" Taylor said smiling.

"And I'm Daphne" Daphne said trying to be as friendly as possible.

"Daphne Turner please stop talking" Mr Bykess said to Daphne. She was silent for a few minutes but then she turned back to Taylor.

"Why don't you have lunch with us? We can introduce you to our friends, maybe show you around" Daphne suggested.

"Okay" Taylor said.

"Taylor Bass! Why do you insist on talking after I just yelled at Daphne Turner?" Mr Bykess exclaimed to Taylor.

"Sorry Sir" Taylor apologized, and the three girls at the back started giggling at their angered teacher.

**Spotted:** **Margaret, Daphne and Taylor Bass aka Cali Girl giggling at English. So are they friends now? Or has our queen bee decided to keep her friends close and her future boyfriend stealer closer? Maybe we should wait till lunch and see how things pan out. One thing's for sure though, Cali Girl is gonna cause a lot of drama!**

**You know you love me**

**xoxo Gossip Girl Junior**

---

Blair sat alone in the kitchen sipping her tea slowly and nibbling at her bagel. She hadn't talked to any of her family at all today. Nate had left for work before she even woke up and her daughters just pretended she wasn't there. The only person in the house who had actually spoken to her was Dorota but even so, she felt lonely.

She was still on holidays from work. She worked as a party planner on the Upper East Side and was very good at it. Everyone knew who she was and people would be lucky to have her plan a party for them. Blair had no idea what she was going to do today, she felt numb and confused. She didn't know whether she should try and make up with Nate and her daughters, or talk to the Basses. She hadn't spoken to Chuck in a week and she had no idea if he had talked to Taylor yet and the suspense was killing her. She was growing very impatient, she really couldn't take it anymore. She'd been thinking about her daughter non-stop for the last week and she was wondering what type of teenager she had turned into. She wondered if Chuck was a good father, or if Taylor was a good daughter. She had so many questions, so many moments she'd missed, so many stories she'd wanted to hear. She felt like she'd missed on something amazing. She'd raised two daughters who were beautiful and delightful but there was always something, there was always that little bit of Nate and even though she'd never really admit it, it didn't feel right. She had always wondered what the difference would be, and she wasn't going to forget about it now that she had her chance.

"Screw this!" she said throwing her bagel back on her plate. She was going to meet her daughter damn it! With or without her permission. And she hoped it bothered Chuck too, that would teach him to keep her waiting.

"Dorota I don't have anything on today do I?" Blair called to her longtime maid.

"No Miss Blair" Dorota answered.

"Good, then I'm going to visit some one I haven't seen in a _very_ long time" Blair said to herself with a smile.

---

Daphne, Margaret and Taylor sat together on the steps of the Met eating their yogurt.

"What are we doing here?" Taylor asked them.

"Waiting" Daphne answered.

"For who?" Taylor asked again, she was a very impatient person but she didn't know where she got it from. Her father was able to wait things out for months if he had to and still not get frustrated.

"We're here" Audrey said joining the seniors, Valerie Humphrey was by her side. Once Audrey saw who was sitting with them her heart sank.

"Audrey, this is Taylor" Daphne introduced with a _play along with it_ look on her face. Audrey was speechless. She didn't want to get to know this girl, yet here she was sitting right in front of her.

"Hey, I'm Valerie" Valerie said completely unaware of what was going through Audrey's mind. Valerie and Audrey were best friends and told each other everything but Audrey had never gotten around to mentioning her long lost half sister.

"And that's Audrey" Margaret said introducing the overwhelmed girl before her. Taylor raised her eyebrows at hearing the name. She knew who Audrey was, and who her parents were, and that they happened to have one in common. By the look on Audrey's face Taylor could tell that she knew too. She gave her a little nod so that she'd know that they were aware of their situation. Audrey seemed to understand because she finally changed her facial expression.

"So is this all we're waiting for?" Taylor asked growing even more impatient and bored.

"No, there's still the boys" Daphne said.

"What boys?" Taylor asked growing a little more interested in what was going on. Taylor sure loved her boys.

"My boyfriend Freddie, Valerie's boyfriend Kyle and of course Joyce" Margaret said simply. Taylor's train of thought went off again. Where had she heard the name Joyce before?

"Hey hey ladies" Joyce said appearing out of nowhere. Taylor immediately recognized him. She didn't think she'd run into him again for a while, she knew she'd be seeing the Humphrey's often but she didn't think she'd encounter him soon. Joyce recognized her too. A smirk spread across his face, on New Year's all she'd left him with was a name and he'd wondered if he'd ever see her again and here she was.

"Hello" he said simply, still smirking. Daphne's eyes turned to daggers as she watched the two interact.

"Hello" Taylor repeated the same way. Everyone around them was smiling and waiting to see what happened, all except for Daphne.

"What's happening people?" Freddie said joining Joyce and the girls, Valerie's boyfriend Kyle Legend following behind him. Kyle was a tanned blond gorgeous boy. He was the son of Vanessa Abrams and Sam Legend. He was very ambitious like his mother and he was in a band called the_ Bunnies in Panties_, nobody had any idea who came up with the name but people seemed to love them anyway.

"Freddie, Kyle this is Taylor" Daphne said trying to act calm but everyone could tell she was burning up inside. She wanted to rip Taylor's face apart.

"So Taylor, how's your first day at Constance going?" Joyce asked Taylor, he glanced over at Daphne to see how she was taking it and smirked even wider when he realized she was furious already.

"Boring, and you can't get any good lunch here. In California we could have ice-cream for lunch" Taylor said.

"Well you can't have ice-cream here!" Daphne exclaimed angrily, she had to say something or else she would explode.

"It doesn't sound like a bad idea though" Margaret said, Daphne glared at her angrily.

"I know a good place for ice-cream that's just around the corner" Joyce said knowing it would only piss Daphne off further. She gave him a death stare.

"Can we go there then, it's better than just sitting here eating yogurt" Taylor said throwing her unopened yogurt back into her bag.

"I could do with some ice-cream" Freddie said helping his friend piss off the girl who wanted him. Everyone always thought it was funny when Daphne was angry.

"Let's go then" Taylor said standing up and linking with the two boys. The other girls watched as the three walked away, it was amazing how easily she could flirt with guys and get away with it. Eventually Margaret, Valerie and Kyle followed the other three. Audrey and Daphne both stayed in their places though. Daphne was too angry to move and Audrey was afraid of what conversations could occur if they all hung around with Taylor.

**Spotted: Cali Girl linking arms with both Joyce and Freddie. A few hours at a new school and she's already stealing boyfriends, or meant to be boyfriends in Joyce's case. This girl is good, watch your back ladies, or at least your boyfriend's.**

**xoxo Gossip Girl Junior**

---

The group of teenagers sat squished together at a small table at the cheap ice-cream place. Joyce sat beside Taylor, which made Daphne's blood boil but she tried her best to hide it, of course this only amused her friends.

"What flavor is everyone getting?" Margaret asked the group.

"Chocolate" Audrey said straight away. Audrey was a bit of a chocoholic so it wasn't surprising how quick she made up her mind.

"I'm more of a vanilla person" Taylor said looking at the list of ice-creams.

"That's weird, usually people prefer chocolate" Freddie stated.

"Yeah but vanilla's sweeter, and I love sweet things" Taylor explained. Daphne rolled her eyes at the stupid conversation about why Taylor favored vanilla.

"I like strawberry" Valerie announced.

"Oh no! I've been put off strawberry" Taylor said quickly.

"Why?" Everyone but Daphne asked intently.

"The guy I lost my virginity to loved strawberries, in the end he turned out to be a huge asshole. In fact that's probably an understatement" Taylor explained.

"So you're boycotting strawberry 'cause your _first_ was a dick?" Joyce said.

"Pretty much. But he was great in bed" Taylor said winking at him.

"Ew! No one needs to hear about who you lost your virginity to" Daphne said leaving the table.

"She's just jealous 'cause she hasn't had the privilege yet" Joyce said.

"Well who was you first?" Taylor asked with a smirk, everyone around leaned in a little bit closer. They were all close friends but they'd never discussed their firsts before.

"Her name was Juliana" Joyce began, "I met her last Summer when I was in France, then one really hot day-"

"Okay that's enough" Valerie cut him off. Valerie and Joyce lived in the same house and were practically brother and sister so she didn't want to hear any of this. She got up and went rushed away to join Daphne, Kyle followed her. Those two were always together when they had the chance.

"What about you, Margaret?" Taylor asked the girl beside her.

"Mr Fred Sualave" Margaret said giving her boyfriend a wink. He smiled.

"My first was good but my current is the best" Freddie said.

"Aw" Joyce said sarcastically. He didn't really like couple stuff.

"What about you, Audrey. Have you sealed the deal with anyone yet?" Taylor asked casually before remembering the connection she shared with the eldest Archibald daughter.

"No!" Audrey said quickly. Everyone looked at her, questioning her strange reaction. She quickly got up and left the table as well. Taylor watched her leave but thought it was about time they talked, maybe it would be safer if they had some ground rules, so she got up and followed. Audrey tried to run to the bathroom but Taylor stopped her.

"We need to talk about this" Taylor said to her half-sister.

"About what?" Audrey said acting clueless.

"About our parent-in-common" Taylor said, she wasn't afraid to say anything to Audrey. She could tell she knew.

"What's there to say?" Audrey said dropping the act.

"Well, I know for a fact that you probably hate me" Taylor said. Audrey nodded a little.

"No one has to know and I can leave you alone if you want" Taylor said.

"No don't. I always wanted an older sister I just..." Audrey trailed off, "it takes some getting used to."

Taylor nodded in agreement. Then the two looked at each other and they both knew that they were in understanding so they both returned to the table.

"So Daphne's a junior and she's still got her chastity belt huh?" Taylor said rejoining the conversation.

"She's been saving it for some one special" Joyce explained.

"Who?" Taylor asked.

"Joyce" Margaret said smiling, "everyone knows she likes Joyce so no girl goes near her."

Taylor frowned when she realized something.

"So technically, She's made sure that no guy asks her out because they know they don't have a chance, and that no girl tries anything with you or else they face her wrath."

Everyone nodded.

"That's smart" Taylor said.

"How?" Joyce asked, intrigued.

"Well, she's made sure that you can't have any girl but her. That way you'll get so bored that you'll have to date her" Taylor explained. Everyone else thought about it for a while. She was right, Daphne had ruined all chances Joyce could have with any girl who knew who they were.

"That sneaky bitch!" Joyce exclaimed angrily.

"How are you friends with some one so controlling?" Taylor asked. She didn't mean to turn everyone against Daphne, she just spoke the truth a lot. It wasn't her fault she was good at observing schemes, her father had taught her everything he knew about them, which was a lot. Nobody answered her question. In all honesty none of them knew why they were friends with Daphne, maybe it was out of habit, or maybe they never noticed until Taylor pointed it out.

"Hey, what did I miss?" Daphne said, rejoining her so-called friends.

"Nothing important" Margaret said, her voice completely neutral. Taylor immediately felt a little awkward and guilty.

"I'm gonna get some ice-cream" she said and left the table once again. She was unaware that she'd just started a revolution on the Upper East Side.

---

Blair entered the new Bass suite. She knew no one was home but she decided to just wait for some one to return. She was afraid she'd back out if she waited somewhere else. The Bass' maid had gone to get her a drink and Blair just sat on the black leather couch waiting. She studied the room intently. It had a few cardboard boxes lying around. The walls were maroon and there was expensive pieces of art pinned up on each one. The furniture was very Chuck-like and it strangely made Blair feel comfortable like she'd returned to a place she hadn't visited in years. The coffee table had little rings on it, Blair could tell that it was from various glasses of scotch that Chuck drank throughout the years. It was nice to know some things never changed. She noticed there was a picture frame on the table, she picked it up and looked at it. It was a picture of Taylor and Chuck in Paris. Taylor looked about seven years old, and Chuck about thirty. Taylor had a huge smile oh her face. They were in front of the Eiffel Tower and the sun seemed to be shining down brightly on them. Taylor was quite tanned, probably from all the California sun and Chuck was hugging her affectionately with a smile on his face. Blair smiled sadly at the picture. She was glad that her daughter was happy, yet she was sad that she missed out on all of it.

She heard the elevator doors ding and footsteps enter the suite. Blair stood up abruptly. Taylor stopped when she saw who was waiting for her. There was an awkward silence for a few minutes, the mother and daughter just stared at each other.

"My dad's not home" Taylor announced.

"I came to see you" Blair said quietly.

"He didn't say you were coming" Taylor said.

"I came on my own account" Blair explained. There was another silence and Taylor walked forward a bit.

"What do you want?" Taylor asked. It came out more rudely than she would have liked.

"To know you, Taylor" Blair said.

"You're a bit late" Taylor said in a nasty tone.

"I know you must hate me but please give me a chance" Blair begged.

"Why? You abandoned me in an orphanage, you lied to my dad and broke his heart" Taylor said angrily. Blair flinched as she heard the harsh truth about herself.

"And for what? So you could keep you perfect Upper East Side reputation and marry his best friend?!?"

Blair didn't speak, she didn't know that when Chuck said he told her everything he really meant _everything_.

"I'm sorry, but you have to understand that I had to do it" Blair said even though she knew that wasn't really true.

"No you didn't. You chose to do it. You chose an Archibald life rather than a Bass one" Taylor said coldly, "you don't deserve a chance."

Blair swallowed back the tears that were starting to well up in her eyes. She didn't try anymore, she knew that Taylor was as stubborn as Chuck and herself. She just sighed and left. Taylor stood alone for a few minutes thinking about what she had just said. She felt bad but she didn't want to know some one who treated her father the way Blair had. Rosalina came into the room holding a tray with a cup of tea on it.

"Did Miss Archibald not want her tea?"

**Spotted:** **Former Queen B leaving the Bass suite. But who was she there to see? The king or the princess? I know I'm dying to know!  
**

**xoxo Gossip Girl Junior.**

_Ugh! This chapter was so annoying to right, 'cause I had it all done and then I forgot to save it so I had to rewrite loads! :(_

_I know Taylor seemed harsh but don't worry, it's not the end for Taylor and Blair's mother/daughter moments. There is definitely more to come._

_Review and let me know what you think._

_-Marina  
_

_In The Next Chapter: Blair feels depressed. Audrey and Taylor discuss their mother and Chuck befriends an unlikely person._


	4. A Change Of Heart

_Hey! I wrote this chapter really fast because I knew what I wanted to put in it. It's kind of short but I'm very pleased with it._

_Enjoy!  
_

---

**Chapter Four - A Change Of Heart  
**

Blair lay on her couch, replaying her conversation with Taylor again and again. She had been lying there for days only getting up to eat and use the bathroom. She hadn't tried to talk to any of her family and whenever Dorota asked what was wrong she just sighed. It was beginning to turn to quite a depressing sight. She hadn't changed clothes since she returned home from her little visit to the Bass' place. At this point Nate didn't really care how Blair was feeling, he didn't know about her little visit so for all he cared she was depressed about him avoiding her. Janie had been pretty much the same, stubborn and bitchy. Audrey was a little more sympathetic though. She was probably the only person other than Dorota who was actually worried about Blair. She hadn't spoken to her mother but she had considered it a lot.

It was a typical Sunday morning and Audrey was getting sick of the sight of her brooding mom.

"Mom, can I talk to you?" Audrey said, finally speaking to her mother. Blair gave her a simple little nod.

"What's wrong? You've been very down lately" she said in a casual sort of tone, she knew it was a stupid way to talk to her but she wasn't sure what else to do. Blair didn't speak, she just stared blankly into space.

"Mom c'mon, I'm trying to help you" Audrey insisted. Blair remained silent. Audrey sighed in frustration.

"I don't hate you, now can you please let me help you?" Audrey said. She finally caught Blair's attention. Blair stared at her daughter.

"You forgive me?" she mumbled to Audrey.

"Yes! Yes! I forgive you!" Audrey exclaimed. She was tired of hating her mom, as different as they were they both needed each other.

"I went to see Taylor" Blair muttered, "she shot me down."

Audrey didn't say anything. She wasn't quite sure what to say, she'd never been shot down by her own daughter. She felt a little hurt that her mother visited Taylor but she didn't blame her, she would have done the same.

"Well, why?" Audrey said after a few minutes.

"Because of everything I did. To her. To Chuck" Blair said, her eyes had drifted over to the wall behind Audrey, it was easier to talk to her this way.

"What did you do?" Audrey asked. She wasn't exactly sure what her mother had done, she only heard the short version of the story.

"I dumped her in an orphanage. I broke his heart" Blair said with a guilty expression on her face.

"How did you break his heart?" Audrey asked. At this point she was generally interested in the story about Chuck and Blair's love affair.

"I made him believe I still loved him" Blair said quietly.

"Did you?" Audrey asked curiously. Blair shifted a little on the couch.

"Yes" she whispered, "I was just too stubborn to admit it, and now I'm stuck here with a a man that I've pretended to love for so long that I've actually forgotten what love is. Until _he _came back."

Audrey sighed. She felt awful for her mother. She'd never really known what it was like to love one man but force yourself to be with another so that you can be accepted as a _lady_.

"And now I feel so lonely and lost. It's like everything I've built in the last seventeen years has been shattered by their return" Blair continued. She finally moved her eyes from the wall to her daughter. Their were dark circles under them, Audrey wondered when was the last time Blair had slept soundly. The sympathy she felt for her mother had just grown even more.

"Do you love dad?" Audrey asked, although she was slightly afraid of what the answer might be. Blair looked away.

"Mom you can say no. I won't hate you or judge you or anything, I'm not Gossip Girl."

Blair just shook her head to answer Audrey's question.

"Do you love Chuck?" Audrey asked. Blair didn't answer. She sat up on the couch and rubbed her eyes.

"I better go have a shower, I have work tomorrow" Blair said as she finally got up from the couch. Audrey watched her walk away. She felt horrible for her mother and she hated seeing her like this. Audrey decided to try and help her mom out. She pulled her cellphone out of her pocket and searched for a certain contact. She pressed call and waited for them to pick up.

"Hello?"

"Taylor! Hey, do you think we could maybe hang out tomorrow after school, just the two of us. Just so we can talk about...You know" Audrey said.

"Sure. Okay" Taylor's voice came from the other end of the line.

"Great" Audrey said, "I'll see you Monday."

"See you" Taylor said and she hung up.

Audrey thought about what she had just done. She seriously hoped that she could find a way to convince Taylor that their mother was a good person.

---

Kyle Legend sat in front of the TV, tuning his guitar. He'd been playing guitar non-stop for the last few days running. His band had a concert in a few days and with every minute he was growing more and more nervous. His friends and family had been very supportive but the only person who was getting on his nerves about it was his mother, Vanessa. She was proud of him of course, but she was always nagging him about how he should be more serious about school rather than music. He never understood why though. She was home-schooled her whole life so that she could work on her film-making, and it worked out for her. She was a very well-known movie producer from it. It pissed Kyle off that she was such a hypocrite, he told himself that it was because she was his mothered and she cared, but he could never understand how holding him back was caring.

"Kyle have you done your homework?" Vanessa asked as she entered the room. Kyle rolled his eyes.

"I told you Mom, I didn't get any" he said, annoyed.

"Really?" Vanessa said skeptically.

"Yes" Kyle insisted.

"Alright then" she said still eyeing him suspiciously.

"God! When will you every get off my case?" Kyle exclaimed. He didn't know why but it was just that the way his mother was talking, it had made something inside of him snap. Vanessa looked at him in surprise.

"Sorry" he mumbled, "I'm just really stressed out from all this concert business."

Vanessa just nodded. She didn't really know what to say to her son. She didn't want to annoy him further so she just left the room.

---

It was Monday morning and Chuck was sitting alone in some journalists office waiting to be interviewed for a magazine. He'd been waiting for about half an hour, he wasn't impatient he just really wanted a scotch. He decided to go find some hot receptionist and see if she could get him a glass of scotch from somewhere. He stepped out of the office to see a few women people running from left to right trying to get their work done. It made his job look easy. He walked down a corridor to find a receptionist who could tend to his needs but was quite unsuccessful. He turned to walk back to the office.

"Well, well, If it isn't Chuck Bass, back form his OC hide-away" a voice said from behind him. He hadn't heard it in a long time but he recognized it anyway.

"Whoregina, long time no see" He said turning around only to be face to face with the devil herself, Georgina Sparks. She still looked pretty much the same, only thirty-something years older.

"Now, now Chuckles. I'm not Whoregina anymore" she said with a smirk. Chuck looked her up and down and gave her an unconvinced stare.

"Oh no seriously, I've grown up. I realized a long time ago that I did a lot of messed up shit in my time but I'm over all of that. I'm not that girl" Georgina explained to him confidently. He raised an eyebrow, he hated to admit it but he was impressed although he wasn't convinced. He wasn't as naive as Serena, he knew how good a liar Georgina was.

"I'm not lying" she said, reading his mind, "and besides, you weren't exactly a saint in high school either."

"Yes but I've grown up" Chuck said. Georgina smirked, now she knew she'd won.

"You don't understand, I had to grow up, I have a daughter now" he said making sure she couldn't compare him to her in any way.

"So have I" she said to his surprise.

"Really? Who's the father?" he asked her.

"I don't know" she replied. Chuck gave her a look that let her know he wasn't at all surprised.

"But when I found out I was pregnant I cleaned up my act, and I've gotta say I've done well since my daughter is dating a Humphrey."

Chuck raised his eyebrows. If Dan trusted his son to date a Sparks spawn then he thought he really could trust the offspring's mother.

"Fair enough" he said and Georgina understood. She smiled at him.

"Hey do you want to maybe get a coffee later or something?" she asked him. Chuck was shocked. Georgina never went anywhere that didn't serve alcohol so she definitely had changed.

"Alright" he said. He wondered what could possibly happen if he once again befriended Georgina Sparks but he decided to take that chance anyway.

"I'll see you after your interview" she said and walked away. He turned around and returned to the office he was waiting at. He probably should stay sober if he was meeting up with Georgina.

---

Taylor entered the ice-cream shop searching the room for Audrey. Ever since Taylor had befriended the Upper East Side's _It_ group, the ice-cream shop had become the new hangout spot so it was only natural that they were meeting up there. She spotted Audrey sitting by the window, and walked over to her.

"Hey" she said as she sat down across from the Nate-like girl.

"Hey" Audrey said back. They sat awkwardly for a few seconds, then Taylor broke the silence.

"So what did you want to talk about?"

"My mom. _Our_ mom" Audrey said uncertain of how she should refer to her. Taylor nodded, it was clear that she didn't really care how they referred to her.

"Well, she told me about the little visit she paid you" Audrey began, "and she's been really, really upset about it. I mean she spent like six days lying on a couch staring at the wall, and it's a very ugly green wall!"

"So?" Taylor asked. It was harsh but she was trying to make herself feel less guilty.

"Taylor, she's completely broken up inside. She never meant to leave you guys, she was just scared. She loved you, both of you and she's regretted it her whole life. She wants to know you! To start over. Don't you understand, my dad means nothing to her, she's just been fooling herself so she didn't end up feeling like she threw her life away for Upper East Side glory!"

Taylor was impressed. She wondered just how long Audrey had been planning that speech for.

"But, I've just heard so many things" Taylor said.

"All that stuff you heard, it isn't the real Blair. She's so much better than that. I should know, I've lived with her all my life. And now it's your turn" Audrey said. Taylor thought about it for a while. Audrey had a point, and even though Taylor loved her father and they were very close, she always wanted a mother.

"Do whatever you want to do, but just know that there's two sides to _our_ mother" Audrey said, she got up and left Taylor wondering what to do.

---

"So Chuck, how have you been?" Georgina asked stirring the milk in her coffee.

"Just fine. And yourself?" Chuck said casually.

"Now Chuck, we're going to have a proper conversation so you better give me a better answer" Georgina said, using a voice you'd use on a three year old.

"You better ask me a proper question" Chuck shot back with a playful smirk.

"Okay. Why'd you come back?" Georgina asked with pure curiosity.

"I missed the Upper East Side" Chuck said.

"You're lying. No one leaves and hides away for seventeen years and then comes back for no reason" Georgina said skeptically. Chuck didn't say anything, he just looked down.

"Ah. So there is a reason" Georgina said smirking.

"Maybe" Chuck said mysteriously, "I needed Taylor to meet her mom."

"Why?" Georgina asked, intrigued. Chuck didn't answer. He couldn't tell Georgina why, he couldn't tell anyone.

"So what's your daughter like?" Chuck said trying to change the subject. Georgina wanted to pry further but decided to let Chuck get away with it.

"She's amazing. She's so smart and beautiful" Georgina said. Chuck never thought he'd hear Georgina describe some one in that way.

"What about Taylor, what's she like?" Georgina asked.

"Me, with hints of Bla- Her mother" Chuck said. He realized he shouldn't be telling people who Taylor's mother was, that could cause a lot of scandal. Unfortunately for him Georgina caught his mistake.

"Is Mrs Archibald Taylor's mother?" Georgina asked, a smirk growing on her face. Chuck didn't answer, but he couldn't stop himself from smiling.

"Oh my God" Georgina said to herself. "And how did Nathaniel handle this news?" Georgina asked.

"I think they're no longer speaking" Chuck answered.

"Charles, why must you break up families like that?" Georgina said teasingly. Chuck and Georgina were both quite messed up in their past and now that they were bonding over it, it really brought them closer than anyone ever thought they could be. They were two of a kind.

"So, when did you come back?" Chuck asked Georgina.

"About ten years ago. I started working at a fashion magazine, now I'm an editor" Georgina told him proudly.

"Good for you. Why did you come back?" Chuck asked.

"Well I simply thought that New York would be a good place to raise my daughter" Georgina answered.

"How old is she?" Chuck asked.

"Fifteen. What about yours?" Georgina replied.

"Seventeen next month" Chuck said. Sometimes it was hard to believe that he had a teenage daughter.

"Promise you'll give me tips on mine?" Georgina asked jokingly.

"Of course" Chuck said, "who knew a coke head like you could turn her life around to be so successful."

"Well you didn't do so bad yourself for an alcoholic" Georgina shot back at him. They both smirked at each other. This was the beginning of a beautiful friendship.

---

When Chuck returned home he found his daughter sitting by a large window that lit up their living room. She was staring out at New York City, completely unaware of what might be going on around her. Chuck couldn't help but notice just how much she looked like Blair at that moment. Her eyes had the same dreamy look, that look that Blair had whenever she thought about the movie that was supposed to be her life. She looked delicate and beautiful, it made Chuck feel like he was in love with Blair all over again. He tried to sneak into his office so that he didn't disturb his daughter, but the Bass suite happened to have very creaky floorboards for such an expensive place. Taylor tuned around to see what was the 'cause of the sound.

"Hey Dad" she said, giving him a simple smile. She was almost a mirror image of Blair.

"Hey Tay. How was your day?" Chuck asked his daughter, walking over and taking a seat beside her.

"Oh you know, just like every other day has been since we got here. Cold and depressing" Taylor said.

"You'll eventually get used to the New York weather" Chuck assured her. She just shrugged. She may have been sitting right in front of Chuck, but her mind seemed to be far away.

"I just don't like change that much" Taylor finally said.

"I know what you mean" Chuck said to her quietly and they both sat in silence for a few minutes.

"You know that I'm friends with Audrey Archibald right?" Taylor said to her father. Chuck nodded, he knew this was going to be a serious conversation and even at forty years of age, he still felt awkward when he talked about stuff like that.

"Well we talked about Blair today" Taylor said, "Because, she came to visit me a week ago asking me to give her another chance and I kind of rejected her."

Chuck nodded along, he didn't know what to make of this, he expected it though, he knew Blair was impatient.

"Then Audrey told me that she had been lying around the house, all depressed and stuff and I kind of felt really bad. So I've been thinking about it all day, and I've decided to give her a second chance" Taylor said to him.

"Okay" he said simply. This is what he needed her to do, he needed her to give Blair another chance.

"I feel really awful though so, can you talk to her for me?" she asked him.

"Sure" Chuck said smiling at his daughter. It made him feel proud that he raised such a good person. The majority of Taylor's personality may have come from him but it was a relief to know that she had Blair's kind heart. He picked up the house phone and dialed the number for the Archibald residence.

"Hello?" A young girl's voice answered from the other line.

"Hello, can I please speak to Blair Archibald" Chuck asked the girl.

"Yes. Who is this?" The girl asked. Chuck didn't know whether or not he should answer.

"Dan Humphrey" he answered hesitantly.

"Oh hey Mr Humphrey, It's Janie. I'll go get my mom now" Janie said from the other end of the line. Chuck sighed in relief. He waited for a few minutes, then he heard Blair's voice from the other line.

"Yes Dan?" she said. She sounded annoyed, as if some one had interrupted something important.

"It's me. Humphrey was a disguise so your daughter wouldn't get all righteous and pissed off" Chuck said to her.

"What do you want Chuck?" Blair asked in an annoyed tone.

"I'm sorry, is this a bad time?" He said only to annoy her further.

"I'm planning a party and nothing is going right, you know how mad I get when things don't go my way" Blair said, warning him not to try and piss her off further.

"I had a chat with my daughter today, she told me about your little visit" Chuck said, revealing the purpose of his phone call. Blair didn't answer.

"You should really be more patient" he said to her.

"Waiting's not a fun game to play" she replied simply.

"No it is not" Chuck said in agreement, "I've got good news for you though."

"Really, and what might that be?" Blair asked him, not at all interested in what he had to say. Knowing Chuck, it was probably good news for him not for her.

"You've got another chance" Chuck said.

"What?" Blair exclaimed a little shocked at the sudden change of heart.

"You're a lucky lady" Chuck said, smiling at the fact that he could deliver such good news to Blair. It made him happy to make her happy.

"Oh my God, Chuck thank you!" she said to him cheerfully.

"Thank Audrey, apparently she was what stirred this little change of mind" he said. He could tell Blair was smiling at the kindness of her daughter.

"You and Nate raised quite a sweetheart"

"Thank you Chuck" Blair said again. There was something different in her tone though. She said his name the same way she used to say it when they were in love. It made Chuck's heart skip a beat, although he would never admit it.

"I'll call you to organize something for the two of you to do together" Chuck said.

"Alright, but don't take to long" Blair said in a warning tone.

"I won't. Goodnight Blair" he said.

"Goodnight Chuck" she said back. They both waited a few seconds before they hung up. Chuck missed this. He missed hearing Blair's happy voice, he missed hearing her say his name, he missed saying goodbye. And that had to be the first time since Chuck left, that they both said goodbye to each other without being extremely pissed.

"So, what's going on?" Taylor asked him.

"You're going to have a mother."

---

_I know that little bit with Vanessa and her son seemed a little pointless but it will start becoming more and more important throughout the story._

_So yeah, Georgina's back, and shes friends with Chuck. In this story I think I will make her an actual not evil human being but she won't stay like that for too long, and her past is gonna come back to bite her. As for Blair and Taylor, they're only gonna get closer to each other._

_In The Next Chapter: Bunnies in Panties play their concert. Joyce and Taylor get a little closer. Serena is not happy with her son dating a Sparks. Kyle kisses some one he shouldn't, and Valerie learns a little something about her uncle Eric._

_-Marina  
_


	5. Concerts Are Scandalous

_Wow this one's long. I didn't mean for it to go on for so long but I just couldn't really stop. I_ _know this took me a while but I think it's worth it!And it's an upgrade from the usual kind of short chapters._

_Anyway, lots of things happening in this chapter._

_Hope you like!  
_

---

**Chapter Five - Concerts Are Scandalous**

It was the morning of the _Bunnies in Panties_ concert and Kyle was freaking out. Sure, he'd been practicing non-stop for weeks but it was still nerve-wrecking when he thought about it. He thought he'd forget all his songs and the chords. Everybody believed in him yet he still drove everyone insane with his nervousness. The concert was in a few hours and everybody was talking about it. He knew all his friends and all the people he knew and all the people in his school would be there, he couldn't mess up no matter what. If he messed up nobody would ever let him live it down, Gossip Girl would make sure of that.

"Kyle! Your breakfast is getting cold" his mother called from downstairs. It's true everyone had been supportive, all except his mother. She'd just been nagging and nagging and it was driving him insane.

He went downstairs and sat at the kitchen table beside his father. Kyle had gotten most of his looks from his father, Sam Legend, but everybody said he had Vanessa's personality although he found that hard to believe, everyone did.

"Aren't waffles marvelous?" Sam thought out loud.

"You're so random" Sam mumbled with a little chuckle. His dad was practically his best friend, it was stuff like his randomness that made Kyle want to spend time with him.

"So big day for you today, your first concert eh?" his dad teased nudging his sons arm.

"Yeah, and I'm freaking out!" Kyle said.

"You shouldn't. You're awesome" Sam encouraged.

"That's what you're supposed to say, you're my dad" Kyle said taking a bite out of his waffle, then glancing at the clock he realized he was going to be late for school.

"Gotta run!" he exclaimed grabbing his things and running out of his house.

"See you on the stage" Sam said to him as his son dashed out.

---

**GGJr here ready to inform you of all the things you need to know about the Upper East Side's most rich and popular teenagers.**

**Tonight Kyle Legend's band Bunnies in Panties are throwing the first gig of their lives and anyone important should be seen there. All their bands parents and friends of parents are gonna be there to so be on your best behavior, or at least when they're not watching.**

**We've all seen Kyle and the other non-important band members practicing around school and we no they're good so it ought to be an amazing show. But my focus isn't on how well the band plays but rather on who comes with who to the concert, and who leaves with who...**

**I'm sure it's gonna be a hell of a night!**

**You know you love me**

**xoxo Gossip Girl Junior**

"Hey" Joyce said leaning against the locker beside Taylor's.

"Hey" she said back smiling at him. They'd been hanging out a lot lately so it was normal to find Joyce in the girls' school chatting to her.

"You going to the concert tonight?" Joyce asked casually.

"Yeah. My dad's going too which is kind of weird since he doesn't know Kyle or the band, but I suppose it's 'cause him and Kyle's mom are friends" Taylor said to him casually.

"Oh so you're going with your dad?" Joyce asked looking a little disappointed but Taylor didn't notice.

"Oh God no! I mean, I love him and all but that's embarrassing. Plus I'm trying to think of a scheme to get him and my mom back together and he knows me better than anyone, he'll figure it out before I even put it into action" Taylor explained to him.

"Who is your mother?" Joyce asked realizing that in the short time that he knew Taylor he still had no idea who her mother is.

"No one you know. So who are you going to the concert with?" Taylor said changing the subject.

"You if you're up for it" Joyce said with a flirty smile. Taylor smirked at him.

"I'd love to" she said sweetly looking into his deep blue eyes. It was so easy to get lost in them that she didn't blame Daphne for trying so hard. And then it hit her, Daphne! She was going to kill her and Taylor was only starting to make friends, she didn't want to lose them all because of a guy.

"Don't worry about her, she's a bitch. Everyone prefers you" Joyce reassured her, it was like he read her mind.

"Are you just saying that 'cause you _really_ want to go with me or because it's true?" Taylor asked skeptically.

"Both" he said with a wink and he walked away to find Freddie somewhere. Taylor turned to go to her first class only to come face to face with Daphne.

"What was that about?" she asked with an evil gleam in her eye.

"Oh! He just wanted to borrow a binder" Taylor improvised. Daphne nodded skeptically. Taylor had to be very careful with who she told 'cause it was very obvious that Daphne Turner was _everywhere_!

---

It was the last lunch break of the day and Kyle had spent all his breaks alone in a classroom practicing. His friends were beginning to get worried and Gossip Girl had countless posts on where he was hiding in case anyone was looking. His hiding places were pretty good so it always surprised him how the bitch could find that stuff out so easily. He continued tuning his guitar for what felt like the sixth time that day, when he heard the classroom door open behind him. He turned around to see Louise Van Der Woodsen standing there watching him. She looked a lot like mother but she had her father's light brown hair. She was very tall and wore some of her mother's school wear designs. She was quite a pretty girl but no one ever really noticed her. Kyle had heard a few rumors about how much of a lying bitch she was but he'd never really talked to her properly. There was a few times they had spoken but only because she was his girlfriend's cousin.

"Yeah?" he said expecting her to state the purpose of her interruption.

"Sorry, I just heard you playing and it sounded really good! I'm Louise by the way" she said shyly.

"I know who you are, and thanks, I need lots of compliments today" Kyle said.

"Why?" Louise asked hesitantly.

"My band's first concert" he said.

"Oh my God you have a band! You guys must be great, you definitely are" she said smiling at him.

"Thanks" he said smiling back at the sweet girl before him, "you should come see us play tonight."

"Really? Well I don't have a ticket" she said looking at the floor in disappointment.

"Free entry. Here's the address" he said giving her a piece of paper with the address of the club they were playing at on it.

"Thank you so much" she said enthusiastically.

"No, thank you for your support" he replied sincerely. She gave him one last smile then ran out of the room jumping happily.

Kyle couldn't understand why people called her such a bitch, she seemed like such a sweetheart to him. Maybe it was a different Louise, or maybe it was just Gossip Girl spreading stupid, fake rumors again. Either way, he didn't believe anything he heard about Louise anymore, to him she was almost like an angel there to bring his stress levels down.

---

"So do you want to all meet up at my place for the concert?" Margaret offered her friends. Taylor, Margaret, Freddie, Joyce, Audrey and Valerie were all discussing there plans for that night. Taylor and Joyce glanced at each other and they both knew that they wanted to go up alone.

"Actually, Joyce and I were thinking of going up ourselves. Alone" Taylor said trying to make it as casual as possible.

"You mean _alone_ alone or alone together?" Valerie asked smiling at them.

"Alone together" Taylor mumbled, trying to make it so that no one would hear her, unfortunately for her and Joyce, they were listening extra careful.

"Ooh. Does Daphne know?" Margaret asked.

"You think we're idiots?" was Joyce's reply. That was a good point, anyone with a brain would know to keep this from Daphne for as long as possible.

"So is this like a date type thing?" Audrey asked curiously.

After Blair and Taylor had made their amends, Blair had thanked her repeatedly. Then Audrey had started hanging out a lot with both Blair and Taylor, just not at the same time. Audrey loved being really close to her mother and she loved having an older sister so life was good for her. During the time that she had spent with her new sister she'd learnt about what happened between Joyce and Taylor on New Year's Eve and seeing as Audrey and Taylor had almost become best friends, Audrey was the only person who really knew how Taylor felt about Joyce.

"Uh.." Joyce trailed off. He looked at Taylor awkwardly unsure of what to say. She just smiled at him sweetly to indicate that she was up for whatever he wanted.

"Yeah, I guess it is" he said smiling back at her. All the girls tilted their heads at the two in awe, they all thought they'd make a great couple. Freddie on the other hand just gave Joyce a _yeah you hit that_ smirk.

"So Valerie, how's Kyle doing?" Taylor said changing the subject. No one had spoken to Kyle all day because they were afraid that if they did, he would blow up or something along those lines.

"I don't know, I haven't seen him at all today" she said simply.

"Maybe it's good if we leave him alone. Kyla can be an ass when he wants to be" Audrey said.

"He's just freaked out" Valerie assured her friends. Kyle had a lot of nerves so it was only natural for him to be .

"I miss him though, he always knew how to make us laugh" Freddie said.

"Why? He's not funny" Margaret said blankly.

"Yeah but he does stupid things to impress us" Joyce said. Margaret rolled her eyes at them. Boys are so immature.

"I need to go to the bathroom" Taylor announced. It wasn't that she wanted everyone to know where she was going, it was that whenever she went to the bathroom Margaret and Audrey would tag along, eventually the three of them decided to make that their secret way of talking without the guys hearing.

"We'll come with you" Audrey said even though Taylor already knew that.

The three girls went off into the school building towards the girl's toilets. Once they arrived they checked the stalls to see if anyone else was there, then Margaret spoke.

"So what's up?"

"It's a date. Our first date together. I'm nervous!" Taylor admitted. She didn't know why she was though, she'd always been confident when it came to guys.

"It's gonna be okay. You guys made out before so you won't have the first date awkwardness" Audrey assured her half-sister.

"Yeah but that was just a bit of drunken fun, I'm pretty sure neither of us are going to be drunk this time around" Taylor said.

"Honey, you've nothing to be nervous about. If anyone should be nervous it's Joyce. I mean, he's a charmer but you are way out of his league! He should be thinking of ways to impress you right now!" Margaret said smiling at Taylor kindly.

"Yeah, I guess you're right" Taylor said.

"Of course I am" Margaret said in a cocky tone as she walked out of the girl's toilets. Audrey was at the door about to follow her out when Taylor pulled her back.

"My dad's coming tonight by the way" she told her.

"So?" Audrey asked, not entirely sure how this affected her.

"Just as a warning, for Blair" Taylor said quietly. Audrey didn't know what to say, in fairness she was kind of hoping that Blair and Nate would sort things out but she understood that Blair and Chuck had something a little more passionate and deep than Blair and Nate.

"You can call her Mom" Audrey said with a little smile, she then followed Margaret out.

Taylor didn't go on behind her though, she was deep in thought. She really admired Audrey for being so understanding about all that was going on. She couldn't imagine how horrible it felt to know that your mother had another daughter with another man who she loved more than your father.

Taylor just sighed lightly and left the toilets.

---

Kyle peeped from behind the curtains, he could see the large amount of people who filled the hall and their were still people coming in. Kyle was certain that there were more than eight-hundred people in the hall. He wasn't exactly sure why there was so many people here or how they found out about the concert. He was happy about it though. When he looked into the crowd he could see people from his school, his parents and their friends, the band members' family and friends, all his close friends, and then he spotted Louise sitting alone by the bar with a martini in hand. He wondered where all her friends were but then again since everyone thought she was a bitch it made sense that she was alone. He was glad she was there though, it gave him a sense of comfort.

"Hey rock star" his girlfriend's voice greeted from behind him.

"What are you doing backstage?" he asked giving her a kiss on the cheek.

"I've come to wish you good luck, which I know you don't need 'cause you're going to be amazing!" She said hugging him flirtatiously.

"I hope you're right" he said self-consciously.

"You know I am" she replied winking, then she gave him a long passionate kiss.

"Thanks for dropping by" he said smiling. Valerie gave him another wink and began to walk away, then Kyle had an idea.

"Wait Val, You know your cousin Louise?"

"Yeah" Valerie said unsure of where this was going.

"Well she's here by herself so why don't you bring the gang over to her?" Kyle asked his girlfriend.

"But she's kind of a bitch" Valerie protested.

"Come on, she's your cousin. And she's nice to me so can you do it for me?" he said giving her the best puppy dog eyes he could make.

"Fine" Valerie said rolling her eyes at his cuteness. She kissed him on the cheek and walked away.

---

Taylor sat in front of her mirror adding the finishing touches to her make up. She didn't know why but she was overly excited about this date. She'd never really liked a guy in the way she liked Joyce so it was kind of a new experience for her.

"Taylor, there's a boy here for you" Rosalina called out from downstairs. Taylor gave herself one last check and then made her way downstairs.

Joyce was sitting awkwardly on the black, leather sofa. He was looking around, examining the room. Taylor smiled.

"You know there's a really hot girl coming down the stairs and you fix your attention on the furniture" she said smirking at him. He turned to look at her and smiled.

She really didn't look amazing. She was wearing a pink long-top with some interesting designs on it, skinny jeans and white _Manolo's_.

Taylor looked him up and down and said "You look rather handsome."

"Yes I rather do" was Joyce's reply. He handed her a red rose. She smiled at his flattery.

"Bagged yourself a cheese ball" Chuck said appearing from the hall that led to his office. Taylor rolled her eyes and Joyce just looked embarrassed.

"I'm kidding. You have fun" he said hugging his daughter. He then shook Joyce's hand and gave him an approving nod.

"I'll see you later Daddy" Taylor said, she linked arms with Joyce and they left the Bass residence.

---

"Serena let's go!" Dan called out to his wife. The Humphrey boys were waiting to go to the concert but Serena seemed to be taking rather long.

"Mom come on, Phoebe's probably wondering where I am" Jake yelled to his mother. Dan immediately forgot about how they were going to be late and turned to his son.

"Still seeing Phoebe huh?"

"Yeah I really like her" Jake replied smiling. He really did like Phoebe, she was the perfect girl for him and he was pretty much certain that nothing could break them apart.

"Is her mother gonna be there tonight?" Dan asked trying to act curious.

"I think so. But she's probably gonna be with all her friends" Jake said. Dan laughed at the stupidity of his son's words.

"Georgina Sparks doesn't have any friends."

"She does. Phoebe told me that her mom's friends with that guy who came on New Year's. Mom's friend" Jake told his dad.

"Chuck Bass?" Dan asked raising his eyebrows. Jake nodded. Dan knew Georgina had told everyone that she had changed but s

he didn't think anyone would be naive enough believe her, especially not Chuck Bass.

"Okay I'm ready" Serena said joining her husband and son.

"Finally!" Jake exclaimed but Dan didn't say anything. He was too deep in thought, wondering what had made Chuck Bass befriend a witch like Georgina.

"What's wrong?" Serena asked, noticing that her husband was strangely silent.

"Nothing. But did you know that Phoebe and _her mother_ are gonna be there tonight" Dan informed his wife.

"Georgina?" Serena asked quietly. Serena had grown up a lot in the last few years, she wasn't foolish anymore and Georgina didn't scare her, but she still felt a little intimidated by the bitch. Dan just nodded simply.

"Apparently she's friends with Chuck Bass" Dan said. Serena tried to hide a surprised expression. What could have possibly been going through Chuck's head at the time.

---

Taylor and Joyce entered the club where _Bunnies in Panties_ were playing. They scanned the room to see where their friends were. They didn't want to meet up with their friends, in fact they were trying to avoid them. Knowing their friends, they'd all probably be looking for them so they could spy on their date. Yeah it was a stupid and immature thing to do but that's what teenagers were like.

"I can't see them" Joyce said to Taylor.

"Thank God!" she said smiling at him and the two made their way into the club. It was extremely crowded for a first gig. They trudged their way to the bar.

"When does the band go on?" Taylor asked.

"I think they'll be on in ten minutes or so" Joyce said looking at his watch.

"Joyce!" Vanessa Legend said from behind him.

"Oh hey Mrs Legend" Joyce said shaking hands with his father's best friend.

"Are your parents here yet?" Vanessa asked looking around to see if she could spot Dan or Serena.

"No, Jake and them are coming down together, I'm kind of here with some one" he said nodding towards Taylor.

"I'm Taylor" Taylor introduced.

"I'm Vanessa, Kyle's mom. You probably don't remember me though" Vanessa said. Taylor shook her head, she didn't remember a lot of people.

"I worked on a movie down in California seven years ago and I dropped by your house to talk to your dad" Vanessa said. Taylor tried to see if she remembered and then it hit her.

"Now I remember!" Taylor exclaimed.

"Yeah, you've grown so much! And you look exactly like your mother" Vanessa said.

"Yeah I've heard" Taylor said rolling her eyes.

"Alright, well you two have fun" Vanessa said and walked away. Taylor waved goodbye to her and then turned to Joyce and said "God I hate interruptions!"

Joyce just smiled at her.

---

Chuck entered the club. It was filled with people, mostly teenagers, dancing around waiting for the band to get on stage. Chuck looked around to see if he could spot any parents he knew.

"I just met your daughter" Vanessa said stepping out in front of Chuck.

"Did she remember you?" Chuck asked. Vanessa had been the only person to go and visit Chuck after he moved away so technically she was the last person to see him, and the first person from his past who he introduced to Taylor.

"Eventually" Vanessa answered. Chuck smirked, of course his daughter would need some one to refresh her memory.

"She seems nice" Vanessa said.

"She is" Chuck replied.

"Looks like Blair" Vanessa added. Chuck just nodded awkwardly.

"So, Joyce Humphrey?" Vanessa asked.

"I know that normally I would be repulsed by a Humphrey but he's adopted, if he's not Humphrey by blood then I'll settle" Chuck said smirking, "So when is your boy coming on?"

"A few minutes" Vanessa said.

"Is he any good?" Chuck asked trying to start a conversation.

"Yes, but sometimes I think he focuses too much on music and too little in school" Vanessa said.

"He's a kid, give him a chance" Chuck said, "besides I missed like half of my school life and look where I turned out."

Vanessa looked Chuck up and down and shook her head laughing.

"And of course, who wouldn't want to be Chuck Bass" Vanessa said sarcastically.

"Exactly" Chuck said smirking.

---

Phoebe Sparks stood near the door waiting for the Humphreys to arrive. She'd arranged with Jake to meet up ten minutes ago and Phoebe was a bit impatient. She then saw Jake's mother walk through the door, blond hair flowing down beautifully. Next was her husband and then, Jake. She waved and ran up to him. She gave him a hug then pulled apart when she realized his parents were there.

"Hey Mr and Mrs Humphrey" Phoebe said awkwardly.

"Is your mom here?" Serena asked immediately, without even greeting the girl.

"Uh...Yeah she's in the crowd somewhere. Why?" Phoebe replied.

"I need to talk to her" Serena said almost angrily but Dan put his arm around her and tried to calm her down a bit.

"Not here, not today" he whispered to her and the parents walked away.

"I don't think your parents like me very much" Phoebe said once they were out of sight.

"Nonsense, they love you" Jake said comforting her.

"But they always act so awkward and strange around me" Phoebe protested.

"They're parents. They're supposed to be awkward and strange" Jake said. Phoebe smiled at him and kissed him sweetly.

---

The Archibald's sat in their limo quietly waiting to get to the concert. The tension in the limo was very intense. Nate and Blair still weren't speaking and Janie just pretended everyone wasn't there. Audrey on the other hand were getting closer and closer everyday. Ever since Audrey forgave her mother, not only did she have the mother she'd always wanted but she also had the older sister she always needed. She knew it was kind of selfish and stupid but Audrey enjoyed the fact that her family was in a rut. She had her mother's full time attention or else she was getting advice from her older half-sister.

Janie was the exact opposite. She was being moody and dramatic. She was pissed off all of the time. She was pissed off at Blair for keeping this from them. She was pissed at Audrey for betraying them and hanging out with Taylor. She was pissed at Nate for not trying to fix any of this, and she was pissed at herself for letting her life get this crappy.

The Archibald limo pulled up at the club and the fighting family stepped out one by one. As soon as they stepped out they ran into the Jenny and Eric Van Der Woodsen.

"Hey" Eric greeted them with his arm around Jenny.

"Hey" Nate said blankly.

"So, big night for Kyle huh?" Jenny said trying to start a conversation. The Archibald parents nodded.

"Where's Lawrence?" Janie asked referring to her boyfriend.

"He and Louise are both inside" Jenny said to her.

"Who cares about Louise?" Janie said as she marched into the club.

"Sorry about her, shes been a little moody lately" Blair said for her youngest daughter.

"I wouldn't blame her" Nate said, he was trying to start a fight because he knew it would embarrass Blair.

"Nate not now" Blair said quietly to him and smiled at Jenny and Eric.

"I'm going inside" Audrey told her parents.

"I'll go with you" Nate said and they both left Blair standing alone with the Van Der Woodsen parents.

"Something wrong Blair?" Jenny asked noticing the strange behavior of the usual perfect family.

"Everything's wrong" Blair said and walked inside the building.

---

Jenny and Eric entered the hall and saw crowds of people everywhere. They were surprised the _Bunnies in Panties_ were this popular.

"Great crowd" Eric whispered to his wife.

As they walked through the packs of people Jenny searched the room for all the other parents, then she spotted something that made her stomach churn. Chuck and Georgina were talking to each other, like friends. Jenny didn't know what to do. She felt guilty because of the things she'd learned about Georgina on New Year's Eve, but then again she didn't know how she would tell Chuck the truth about his father's death. She hadn't told anyone yet, she wasn't sure that telling people would be a good idea. She knew she should, that Chuck had a right to know and that Georgina should go to prison. But maybe Georgina had changed, and even if she hadn't, Jenny could never do that to her daughter. She'd spoken to the girl countless amounts of times and she truly was a sweetheart. She wasn't evil like her mother and Jenny couldn't ruin the life of an innocent girl just like that.

"What are yu looking at?" Eric asked trying to spot the sight that caught his wife's attention. once he saw what she saw he went quiet.

"Do you think they're friends?" Jenny asked, although the way they were laughing it was pretty obvious.

"No. Chuck's smarter than that" Eric said in denial, but deep inside they were both pretty convinced. The two watched for a few more second and then found Serena, Dan, Vanessa, Sam and Nate.

"Did you guys see Chuck and Georgina?" Eric asked the rest of them when he made his way over.

"Chuck and Georgina?" Nate asked, he clearly didn't know anything about this strange friendship.

"Yeah, they're friends" Dan said.

"Yeah, he ditched me to talk to her" Vanessa said.

"No, Chuck wouldn't be that stupid" Nate said.

"Apparently, he is" Serena said coldly. It was almost as if she was angry at Chuck for being friends with Georgina.

"Attention everyone" The owner of the club said into a microphone from the middle of the stage, "Hello and welcome. Tonight is the introduction of a very skilled and talented band. Everybody make some noise, for _Bunnies in Panties_!"

Everyone in the room cheered excitedly, it was crazy.

Kyle felt like he owned the world from center stage, he started playing his guitar as the rest of the band played their instruments skillfully. They were a very great band, not like everything else people heard these days but everyone still loved them. Kyle was filled with joy, he could feel the adrenalin pumping through his veins and it felt good. He wanted to do this everyday for the rest fo his life. It was the greatest feeling he'd ever felt and he never wanted to let it go. He played his song like he had rehearsed it so many times only it felt like more than music tonight, tonight it felt like a miracle.

---

Daphne was running all around the hall trying to find her friends. It was as if every time she spotted them and waved for them to stay there they move when she wasn't looking. She didn't know how they did it but it was beginning to get very annoying. She spotted them sitting beside the bar talking. This time she didn't wave and get their attention, she just marched sneakily up to them so they couldn't run away.

"Why have you guys been avoiding me?" She shouted over the music. They all turned to look at her.

"We haven't been avoiding you" Margaret lied.

"Yeah, why would we do that?" Valerie said. Daphne nodded in agreement and sat on a stool beside Margaret.

"Where's Joyce?" she shouted to Margaret. Margaret didn't know whether or not to answer so she just pretended she didn't hear. Daphne repeated her question and Margaret decided to just tell her since she wouldn't stop asking if she didn't.

"On a date" she shouted back. Daphne's face twisted in anger.

"With who?" She yelled angrily.

"I'm not telling you. Find him and ask him yourself, he's here somewhere!" Margaret yelled. Daphne got up and ran to the middle of the hall in rage. She had set herself a mission now, to hunt down and destroy the slut who'd taken Joyce away from her. She trudged through the large groups of dancing fans until she found what she was looking for. Taylor and Joyce were dancing together in the middle of the crowds. The were laughing and smiling at each other in a silly infatuated matter, it made Daphne sick. How could Joyce do this to her and how could Taylor do this to her too. Daphne knew about what happened in New Year's but she thought it was a one-time thing, and now they were on a date! Daphne's heart was pumping anger in and out of her veins. She felt like whe was gonna explode. Then her phone beeped.

**Spotted: Joyce and Cali Girl dancing happily in the middle of the hall. Although Kyle's band are playing their amazing songs very skillfully, everyone's attention is on the brand new couple, including Daphne's! Looks like Joyce is her's no more. Lost him to the new girl, huh Daph? Now that's embarrassing!**

**xoxo Gossip Girl Jr**

Once Daphne had finished reading the message she couldn't hold her anger back any longer. She screamed the loudest she possibly could but it only sounded like a simple beeping noise in the middle of the music and the large groups of happy, dancing fans.

---

Chuck sat alone at a table at the sides watching his daughter dancing happily with Joyce. Georgina had gone off with some people from work so he just stayed where he was with his usual glass of scotch.

"This seat taken?" A familiar voice asked from beside him. He turned his head to see Blair standing there waiting for him to say yes or no. She was wearing a red shirt and a high-skirt that showed her beautiful figure.

Chuck stared at her for a while trying to figure out what the purpose of this was, he eventually gave up and just nodded to her. Blair sat beside him and stared out to Taylor and Joyce just like Chuck had been doing.

"She's beautiful" Blair said after a small silence.

"Of course she is, she looks like you" Chuck said simply. Blair smiled at the compliment, she missed his random compliments. She missed the way that when he said them he didn't expect you to react. It was sweet.

"She's only been here a few weeks and she's already gotten herself a guy" Blair said watching her and Joyce prancing around happily.

"He seems like a decent boy" Chuck said. He wasn't worried about Taylor, he never had been. She was the type of person who actually learned from her mistakes.

Blair simply nodded in agreement. She knew Joyce well so she trusted him.

"What did I miss out on Chuck?" Blair asked, turning her attention to her former love.

"A lot" he replied simply. He wasn't in the mood to get into too much details.

"Like what?" she insisted, she wasn't going to give up.

"You two are doing something this week, why don't you just ask her?" Chuck said. Blair rolled her eyes.

"Stop being so stubborn and just tell me" she said getting slightly annoyed.

"On her tenth birthday I threw her a huge expensive party. That night she had her first full on kiss. It was the guy her best friend liked and they got into a fight. After that Taylor made new friends and they never spoke again. When she was sixteen I bought her a convertible, she crashed it when she was late for school and begged me to buy her a new one. I did and she crashed that too. In the end she just started using my driver. The first time she asked me about you was when she found my old yearbook and ever since that day she hasn't given it back. She always looks at it when she's sad or lonely and she wonders what her mother's like"

Blair sighed. Chuck was doing this on purpose. He was trying to hurt her so she'd leave him alone.

"Chuck, I'm staying right here" she told him quietly. He looked up from his scotch and stared at her.

"It was hard. She reminds me a lot of you, it was kind of depressing. But I guess it helped since I knew you so well" he said sincerely. She gave him a sad little smile. She'd forgotten how much she missed him until they'd spoken properly to each other again.

"You know I never told you I was sorry" she said softly.

"You didn't have to. I knew why you did everything" Chuck told her.

"I am sorry though. I never wanted to hurt you, I just thought I had to" she said avoiding Chuck's gaze.

"Apology accepted" he said and smiled at her. She smiled back, hopefully things were gonna be good now.

---

Janie watched her mother and Chuck talking, as she danced with Lawrence.

"Is it wrong to think she's a slut?" Janie asked hoping that Lawrence knew who she was referring to.

"It's natural" he said.

"So you've thought you mom was a slut before?" Janie asked making sure she wasn't the only one.

"No, I meant only about your mom" he said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Are you saying my mom's a slut?" Janie asked getting slightly insulted but Lawrence didn't notice.

"Well, no. It's just that your parents aren't exactly saints now are they?" Lawrence said trying to make it seem less rude.

"What, so you don't like my parents?" Janie asked.

"Not really" Lawrence said hesitantly.

"Why?" Janie said hiding all emotion so Lawrence didn't tell her what she wanted to hear.

"Because, you're mom's so bitchy and uptight and she goes around on her high-horse judging everyone else when she's got a secret daughter she lied about for seventeen years. And you dad, well he's not even trying to make things better, it's almost as if he wants to break up your family" Lawrence admitted.

"Okay first of all, my mom may be a bitch but so am I, in fact she's who I got it from. As for my father, he's a good man and the only reason he hasn't made an effort yet is because he was so hurt by it all. They my be stupid people who made silly mistakes but in the end they're still my parents and they're good human beings, so don't you dare go judging my parents especially with all the stuff your parents have done! We both know your mom used to be as much of a bitch as mine and as for your dad, I bet there's some dirty little secret about him that you don't know!" Janie yelled at him. When she was finished her rant she glared at him for a few more minutes then stormed off.

---

Jake sat with his girlfriend laughing and listening to their friend's band.

"They're awesome!" Phoebe exclaimed for what felt like the third time that night.

"Wow you really like them don't you?" Jake said laughing at his girlfriend's silliness. The couple were interrupted by Serena though.

"Jake can I talk to you please, now" Serena said almost as if she was angry at him. He nodded and followed his mom to a more private corner.

"Yeah?" Jake said to his mother indicating for her to begin talking.

"How much do you really know about Phoebe?" She asked him.

"I know enough" Jake said.

"Do you? Because I know Phoebe's mother very well and she's evil. She plots and schemes until she's destroyed enough of some one's life to make them go insane. She isn't like everyone else though, she uses people to help her. Tricks them into being her pawns. She's capable of making people destroy themselves, I should know. Georgina plotted against me so many times. And I've a feeling she's never gotten her revenge, and Phoebe could be her assistance in revenge. I mean why else would she be dating you?" Serena said.

"Are you saying that Phoebe's only dating me to help her mother get revenge?" Jake asked insulted. Serena didn't speak, she just nodded hesitantly.

"I cannot believe this!" Jake said raising his voice, "Mom, of all the horrible things you could have said to me, this is by far the most ridiculously stupid! Phoebe likes me for who I am, she's a good person!"

"I know that but that's how her mom works, she makes people believe in people so that she can tear them apart. I'm telling you this because I don't want you to get hurt" Serena protested.

"She's not her mother!" Jake shouted. Serena went completely silent. Jake just glared at her angrily and stormed away.

---

"Alright everyone, thank you for coming to support us tonight" Kyle said into the microphone, "we're _Bunnies in Panties_, and we hope you enjoyed the show. Tell your friends!"

Everybody cheered loudly, clapping and whistling for the amazing band. Kyle felt like the king of the world. He knew now that everybody loved him and his music, and right now nothing else mattered. He wanted to be a musician for the rest of his life. He wanted everyone to know who he was and how skilled he could be on his guitar. He didn't care about anything else. School was pointless to him. He knew what he wanted to do in his life and he knew that he could do it.

As he got off the stage, he saw some one waiting for him smiling happily and proudly. He walked over to her with a mirrored smile.

"You were amazing!" Louise said to him giving him a hug.

"Thanks" He said happily.

"I never stopped watching you!" She admitted, then once she realized what she'd just said she blushed a little.

"Did Valerie talk to you?" He asked remembering the deal he made with his girlfriend.

"Yeah, it was weird though, she's usually not very nice to me" she said with a slightly sad expression.

"I can't imagine why" Kyle said smiling. She smiled back at him. He'd been so nice to him, much nicer than anyone else had been, ever.

Then out of impulse Louise kissed him passionately. Kyle was to overwhelmed by the randomness of her kiss that he forgot for a second that he had a girlfriend, then the image of an angry Valerie popped up in his head and he pulled away.

"What are you doing?" He said to her with a confused expression.

Louise opened her mouth to answer but before she could get a word out a small feminine hand slapped her hard across the face.

"Don't you dare go near my boyfriend again!" Valerie shouted at her cousin. Loise glared at her, her face had a red hand-shaped mark on the left side of her face.

"It was an impulse" Louise defended.

"Yeah right. Louise your my cousin and I know you, you were planning this" Valerie said. She grabbed Kyle's hand and started to walk away. Louise tried to pull them back but Valerie was having none of it.

"Unless you want my hand print permanently tattooed to your face, you'd let me go right now" Valerie threatened. Louise froze and Valerie and Kyle walked away.

---

Jake pushed through the large crowds of people. after his mom pulled him away from Phoebe, she went off somewhere, so now he couldn't find her.

He spotted her by the bar taking small sips of orange soda. Jake smiled, Phoebe was so innocent, how could Serena think such absurd things about her. He walked over and hugged her from behind.

"Hey" she said turning to look at him.

"Hey. Sorry about that, my mom's just being a bitch" Jake said.

"How?" Phoebe asked, acting naturally interested like a good girlfriend should.

"She was all like _how well do you really know Phoebe_. It was ridiculous, she told me loads of bullshit about you and your mom, telling me how your mom likes to destroy people and how she hates my mom and wants revenge and all that sort of crap." Jake rambled on. Phoebe didn't say anything.

She believed her mom was a good person but she didn't know much about her past. Phoebe had no idea who her father was or what happened to him and her mother kept a lot of secrets. Something always told her that Georgina had something to hide. She didn't like doubting her mother but in fairness, how could she not?

"Phoebe?" Jake said snapping her out of her train of thought.

"Sorry, I just got distracted" she said.

"You don't agree with my mom do you?" he asked.

"Well not exactly, but there's a lot I don't know about my mom. I would never do something like that though" she said.

"I know you wouldn't, but would your mom?" Jake asked, his doubt was obvious now.

"I don't know" Phoebe said honestly.

"Can you ask her then?" Jake asked. Phoebe nodded hesitantly.

Neither of them really wanted her to ask, they were afraid that Serena would be right but they knew that if they didn't find out the truth it would always be haunting them in the back of their heads.

---

Nate sat by the bar watching his wife and his former best friend talking to each other calmly. He hated seeing how easily Blair could talk to Chuck, it made him feel worthless. In a way he envied Chuck. Blair had always wanted him more, cared for him more, loved him more. He knew he couldn't blame either of them since the heart wants what the heart wants but it still made him hate Chuck.

Serena sat herself on a stool beside Nate and drifted her eyes to where he was looking.

"Do you want to fix things?" she asked him.

"Yeah" he mumbled.

"Then make an effort. You can't reconcile with Blair if you don't talk to her" she said. Nate thought about it for a while. Serena was right, Nate hadn't even been trying to mend their relationship, how was he supposed to win her back that way?

"I just don't really see the point" he muttered.

"Nate, she married you. Chuck's out of the picture for good so stop doubting yourself" Serena encouraged.

Nate knew she was right, so he got up and marched over to Chuck and Blair.

"Can we talk" he said to Blair once he arrived. The two brunettes turned their heads to look at him.

"I'll leave you two to talk" Chuck said getting up out of his seat and offering it to Nate. Nat sat down and directed his attention to Blair.

"I forgive you for everything, I don't blame you for what you did because those are the things that make yu who you are no who I want you to be. I want to make things right again. I don't care if you want to get to know your daughter or not because I'll support you every step of the way" he told her. Blair smiled.

"Thank you" she said and she kissed him.

Things were finally starting to turn around.

---

Janie, Jake and Phoebe were sitting together talking about the DJ. It was a rather pointless conversation but the three of them were all trying to get things out of their heads. Lawrence walked over to them and said "Janie can we talk?"

Janie simply nodded coldly. He waited for her to lead him somewhere private but she didn't move.

"In private?" he added.

"If you've got something to say, say it here" Janie said stubbornly.

"I'm sorry, about what I said about your parents. I'm sure they're good people and I shouldn't judge them without getting to know them" Lawrence apologized. Janie smiled and kissed him.

"I forgive you" she said giving him a giddy hug. Lawrence smiled.

---

Valerie sat alone by the bar. Kyle had gone off somewhere with the rest of the band and she was still fuming from the whole incident with Louise so she decided to cool off with some tequila. She looked around at all the people sitting around her. There was mostly brooding teenagers and lonely old men. She then spotted Louise's father, Eric talking to some guy a few seats away. Valerie was going to pretend they weren't there but then something inside of her made her want to eavesdrop.

"So how are things?" Eric asked the man.

"Great!" The man said, "I married Michael last year and now we're in the middle of adopting a little girl."

Wait a minute, was Eric talking to a gay guy?

"Ah yes, I've got a daughter, Louise. She's sixteen now" Eric told the man.

"Wow, already a teenager. It's so hard to adopt though isn't it?" The man said to Eric. Louise wasn't adopted though, was she?

"Oh no I didn't adopt, I had Louise with my wife" Eric said.

"Wait, so you're not gay anymore?" the guy asked.

"No. I was just confused back then, but once I figured things out I started dating Jenny" Eric told the guy. Once the information had sunk into Valerie's brain a huge grin spread across her face. Louise's dad used to be gay! This could destroy her reputation for good. She'd be so humiliated. Valerie wanted to send it to Gossip Girl straight away. She typed the message up but when she was about to send she thought it was too cruel. She'd already slapped Louise, that was sore enough. Valerie decided to just save it to her drafts.

She wasn't going to do this to Louise, but if she stepped out of line again Valerie would press send.

---

_You see, very long! If you didn't like the length don't worry, the next chapter's gonna be short. Review and let me know if you liked it or not._

_Don't worry about Chuck and Blair, things are never over between them._

_-Marina  
_

_In The Next Chapter: Blair and Taylor go shopping. Daphne attacks...physically, and Louise and Valerie talk about the little incident.  
_


	6. The Truth Hurts

_Hey! So I'm sorry this took so long but I've been extremely busy these last few weeks. Anyway this chapter is quite short because I wanted to give guys something rather then keep you waiting for ages..._

_So enjoy...  
_

---

**Chapter 6 - The Truth Hurts**

Chuck sat in the kitchen pretending to read the newspaper but hiding a porn magazine inside it. He could remember doing this when he was a teenager, the only reason he did it now was because he wanted to set an example for his daughter though he was very sure she knew what he was really reading.

He was eating a bowl of some children's cereal that Taylor loved, he could understand why. It wasn't made of anything but sugar and chocolate.

Rosalina was standing in front of him polishing the already clean kitchen table. Whenever she ran out of things to clean and got bored she'd just polish the kitchen table, it was her thing.

Chuck heard high-heeled footsteps in the front room and assuming it was Taylor he said, "Good morning sweetheart."

"Good morning to you too, honey" Blair's sarcastic voice said from the doorway. Chuck looked up to see Blair smiling at his hidden sweetness.

"Who let you in?" Chuck interrogated, slightly embarrassed.

"One of your servants, Paolo is it? You seem to have a thing for the Spanish ones" Blair replied.

"They get their job done" Chuck said, "Taylor's upstairs, you can call her down if you want."

"I can wait" Blair said simply.

"You'll be here a while" Chuck informed her.

"I've got time" she protested, "besides, you can keep me company."

Chuck smiled at her.

"Okay I'm ready!" Taylor said jumping out from behind the doorway.

"That was fast" Chuck said rather surprised at the speed of his daughter.

"I'm excited" Taylor stated smiling at Blair who smiled back.

"Well you two have fun" Chuck said to the two brunette ladies. They both waved him goodbye and strutted down the hallway to the elevator.

---

Blair and Taylor stepped into Bendel's and started browsing the store. They had quite similar tastes in clothes so it was easy to help each other out. They were having fun together.

"So Taylor" Blair said, starting a conversation, "any boys in your life?"

Taylor smiled to herself as she picked up a red cashmere sweater from one of the racks.

"Kind of" she said.

"Who?" Blair said curiously even though she already knew about Taylor and Joyce. Audrey and Janie didn't really talk to her about boys so it was nice to talk about it for a change.

"Joyce Lifton" Taylor said smiling giddily to herself. Blair grinned. She loved Joyce, he was always so sweet and such a gentleman.

"Good choice" she said to her daughter. Taylor put the red sweater back and turned to her mother.

"Yeah but this girl Daphne likes him and she seems like the annoying, bitchy type that will swear revenge on me" Taylor said.

"So? If Joyce likes you too then he obviously knows better" Blair said knowingly.

"You're probably right" Taylor said, "thanks."

Blair smiled.

"You're welcome."

---

Daphne sat alone at her kitchen table. Her parents were out of town for the weekend, it was always like that with them. It was almost as if they didn't really care, it didn't bother her though, she didn't care either. She had her own life, her own friends. She never needed her parents around, that's what made her so strong. She learned to get by all on her own.

Lately though she felt like her so-called friends weren't being quite good friends. They kept shutting her out for some reason, as if all of a sudden they just started randomly hating her. Ever since Taylor came along. Yes, Taylor had been a very irritating new person in Daphne's life and it seemed like no matter how hard she tried, the Bass daughter just wouldn't go away. It started with simply somehow convincing all Daphne's friends that she was a nice person. Then she manipulated the eldest Archibald daughter to become her little minion, the two of them were always helping each other out, almost like _sisters_. Then came the worst part of it, Joyce. Taylor had managed to mesmerize Joyce in a way that Daphne could only dream of achieving. Joyce could never pull himself away from the brown-eyed beauty. It drove Daphne insane. And then at the concert, seeing them together, looking into each others eyes, so completely infatuated with each other. It made Daphne want to get sick.

Daphne was determined to win Joyce back, no matter what it took. Joyce was her one and only and she was not about to just let Taylor have him. For her it was all or nothing, and she was aiming for the all part.

---

Taylor and Blair sat at an expensive restaurant waiting to be waited on. They'd both long decided what they were having and neither of them were patient people. They'd gotten a lot of shopping done, catching up on missed memories along the way. Blair had found out so much about her daughter, it was clear to her that they were very alike in both looks and personality although Taylor had more of a Bass personality rather than a Waldorf. It was nice though. It felt familiar to Blair.

They'd caught up on seventeen years that Blair was dying to be a part of and Blair shared some of the Archibald family stories too. Some quite embarrassing ones about Audrey that Taylor knew she was going to torture her with.

After a waiter finally arrived and took their orders Blair asked the question that had been annoying her mind all day.

"So is Chuck still a womanizer or has he learned to settle down?"

Taylor raised her eyebrows at the intriguing question.

"He always knew how to settle down he just chose not to" Taylor replied with a smirk on her face. Blair noticed every little detail of the smirk. It was practically a mirror image of Chuck's. Blair felt a sudden familiarity in Taylor's features, she may look like Blair but if you focused long enough you could see hints of Chuck.

"So he hasn't really had any women?" Blair asked making sure that the answer she got was one-hundred percent clear.

"Well since you're dying to know the truth, he probably never got over you" Taylor stated honestly and then observed Blair to see the reaction. Blair blushed a little and tried to hide a little smile. To be honest she wasn't sure why she was smiling but Taylor seemed to be enjoying the reaction.

"Interesting" Blair eventually said slowly.

"It's kind of hard for him though, there's always something to remind him of you" Taylor said. This truth surprised Blair, she wasn't expecting that much information but it was clear to her now that Taylor wanted to talk about it too.

"I miss him" Blair admitted. There was a bit of an awkward silence then Taylor spoke, "he misses you too."

The two women with the chestnut curls looked up at each other. Blair saw that Taylor really wanted her parents to be together. And Taylor saw that Blair, in a way, still loved Chuck and to her Nate was just a distraction.

"Have you ever wanted to find him, tell him you're sorry and you know, maybe win him back?" Taylor asked.

"All the time, but I was scared. I didn't want to be shot down, for me it was all or nothing. And I had a feeling that if I tried I would have gotten nothing" Blair explained.

"You would've gotten something" Taylor whispered. Blair looked at her with a sad expression.

"It's a simple story of what could have been" Blair began, "it's best for me to just forget about it, or else I'll never forgive myself."

Taylor nodded understandingly.

"You know if there's anything I've learned about my dad in the last few years, it's that it's never too late."

Blair just stared at Taylor silently, her brain racing with possibilities of what might have been, and what still could be. She was about to say something to Taylor when the waiter finally arrived, their dinners in hand.

---

The next day, Daphne stood around in front of the school waiting for Joyce to arrive. Her eyes watched every Junior from St Jude's very intently, making sure that she didn't accidentally miss him.

After a few minutes of waiting around she finally spotted him walking up the school steps with Margaret and Freddie. The three of them seemed to be having quite a funny conversation because when they reached the top of the steps Freddie and Joyce were both laughing hysterically while Margaret grinned giddily.

"What's up?"; Daphne asked the trio casually. None of them said anything but their smiles faded once they noticed her presence.

"Nothing much" Freddie answered hesitantly. Daphne just nodded blankly.

"Joyce, can I talk to you?" Daphne asked slyly.

"Okay" Joyce replied slowly and followed her to the edge of the stairs.

"So, you and Taylor huh?" she said casually although she had an evil glint in her eye. Joyce nodded cautiously. He knew Daphne had a temper and he was gonna try his best not to set it off.

"Why?" She asked as if what he and Taylor had was absolutely ridiculous. "Joyce, you know you and I are perfect for each other. We always have been. We've known each other for so long and for all that time we've both been certain that the two of us were meant to be, why does all that have to change because of Taylor?"

Joyce smirked at her stupidity. "Daphne, you were the one who thought all those things, not me. You were the one who went around convincing everyone that the two of us were meant to be. But we're not, so give it up and move on."

Daphne just stared at him broken-heartedly.

"But we're Daphne and Joyce, Joyce and Daphne" Daphne said with pleading eyes.

"I'm sorry Daph" Joyce said sweetly, he thought that if he was gonna break her heart he should at least try to not be cruel. "I'm with Taylor. Maybe you should move on and try to find some one else."

Daphne looked at him as if she'd just been slapped.

"Move on?" She said insulted. "Move on?" She repeated raising her voice. "I don't get this. How can some random Cali Girl come out of nowhere and completely steal my life. She stole my friends and my guy."

"Daphne, we're not yours to steal" Joyce said trying to put some sense into her mind.

"But...I'm the queen bee!" Daphne exclaimed in frustration.

"Maybe you're not" Joyce said hesitantly. Daphne's eyes shot up to glare at him. There was an evil flicker inside them, it was in-humane, it almost scared Joyce.

"Let me tell you something Joyce Lifton!" She shouted at him, "I am and always will be the queen bee!"

"I'm just saying, you can't control everyone forever, people will disagree with you and there's nothing you can really do about it" Joyce said to her. This seemed to really infuriate her.

"That's not true. I could, until Taylor showed up. She changed things."

"She didn't change things" Joyce began to explain to her, "she just opened our eyes to what we were too blind to see."

"But..." Daphne began, she seemed completely lost. Joyce's words just confused her in ways she never thought possible. Eventually everything she'd been holding back for the past few weeks just bubbled up to the surface. Her hatred for Taylor, her lust for Joyce, it was all there. And the way Joyce was looking at her didn't help, he had a look as if to say that she'd lost and Daphne Turner never loses. The look was driving her insane, she could feel the hairs on the back of her neck raising from her rage till eventually there was only one thing left that she could think to do.

"I AM THE QUEEN!" She shouted at Joyce and then she pushed him full force over the balcony part of the stairs that they were standing beside.

Daphne was surprisingly strong. She sent Joyce flying backwards. People around them gasped and screamed in shock and terror. This was a side of Daphne that everyone knew was there, just nobody ever cam across.

Daphne too was in shock. She walked over to the balcony to see what she'd done top Joyce. Once she'd looked over she saw Joyce bleeding face looking up at her. Beside him was Audrey and of course Taylor. The two were looking ta her in disgust.

"What the hell is wrong with you!" Taylor shouted and then began to comfort Joyce.

"Daphne, have you gone totally insane?!?" Freddie yelled form behind Daphne. Daphne turned around looking at him with an expression of guilt and shame.

"I..." Daphne began, but she didn't know what to say.

"We know you want Joyce but he's never gonna be with you. You can't push us around anymore so just give up!" Freddie shot at her. His harsh words cut through Daphne like paper on fingertips. In the end everyone just started to walk away, all of Daphne's _friends_, or at least past friends, went over to Joyce to help him with his bleeding face. All of a sudden everyone's phone started beeping at the same time to indicate a message.

**Hey people! Did you see it?!? Daphne Turner sent Joyce head over heels and not in a good way. What has gotten into her? I guess it's about time some one took her crown away from her, but if she's not queen anymore then who is? My bet's on Cali Girl for the win.**

**xoxo GGJr**

---

Valerie looked at the message again. What was Daphne's problem? Joyce was practically Val's brother so it infuriated her to know that a girl who had once been her friend had pushed him face first down a set of stairs. To make her day worse Louise Van Der Woodsen had stayed close by all morning. She'd noticed Louise staring at her and Kyle together and it was really starting to piss her off.

Once Valerie had shut her phone she saw Louise strutting over to her, her chin held high and mighty.

"Jealousy's a bitch huh?" Louise said, obviously implying that Valerie was jealous of her. Valerie frowned.

"I know a worse one" she retorted. Louise's bitchy look turned to a glare. Valerie just raised her eyebrows to challenge her.

"You don't wanna play this game with Val" Louise said giving her the most fake smile she could possibly muster.

"Maybe I do, Lou" Valerie said, adding the Lou to anger her cousin.

"You know if I were you I'd be scared, I could have Kyle if I wanted" Louise threatened with a sneaky smile.

"Well if I were you I'd be scared too, 'cause I know things about you and your family, things that could ruin you" Valerie warned back.

"Your forgetting that my family is your family" Louise said finding a loophole in Valerie's threat.

"What I know would hurt you more" Valerie said with a confident smirk.

"Why don't you keep that in mind while I go make out with your boyfriend, I'm sure he'd like me a lot more than you" Louise said bitchily.

"I dare you to try it" Valerie said coldly.

"Maybe I will" Louise said, "And speak of the devil..."

Jake was walking over to the two girls. He knew Valerie wouldn't want him to but he was afraid that one of them was gonna pounce on the other.

Louise started to walk away in his direction. As she walked past him she ruffled his hair with her perfectly manicured hands and said "hey Kyle" as flirtatiously as she could. She then turned and winked at Valerie. Valerie just smiled. She'd already warned Louise quite a number of times but it seemed that the Van Der Woodsen daughter refused to listen. Now it was time to teach her a lesson, sure it was gonna be cruel and yes it would 'cause some damage to herself but it was a sacrifice she was willing to make.

So she slid her phone open, went into drafts and sent the message she'd been pondering for the last few days.

**Hey people! So you'll never guess the news I have for you... A little birdie told me that there used to be a homosexual in the Van Der Woodsen line of family. Yes you all know Lawrence and Louise V D Woodsen, well turns out their daddy, who happens to be married to a woman, used to have quite the taste for men. Who knows if he still is or not? It's hard to tell with the gays. Makes you wonder though, are Eric and Jenny real parents feeling real love, or are they creating this perfect Upper East Side family image so that their kids don't have to suffer? Either way it's a bit late for that now. But hey don't take it all out on the Van Der Woodsen children, turns out the Humphreys have relations with the gay father too. Although it would be worst to be offspring rather then nephew ir niece. Anyway Let's see how this little family drama pans out shall we...**

**You know you love me**

**xoxo Gossip Girl Junior**

---

_I'd just like to put it out there that I was too lazy to proof-read this so excuse any mistakes I may have made._

_As you can see Daphne is a little violent. She's going to become more and more evil throughout the story so prepare yourself because she does some really horrible things!_

_As for Valerie, yes it was a low blow. Truth is Valerie didn't think about what she was doing when she sent the message. She just wants revenge._

_Anyway, let me know what you thought...  
_

_-Marina  
_

_In The Next Chapter: The Van Der Woodsens deal with the latest revelation, a fight is brewing in the Legend household and Daphne plots revenge and it aint pretty!  
_


	7. Storms In The Brewing

_Sorry this took so long. I tried to get it up sooner but the last few weeks have been really busy for me!_

_Hope you like it!_

---

**Chapter Seven - Storms In The Brewing  
**

Taylor and Joyce sat alone on Taylor's bed. Taylor was putting some sort of cream on his cuts and bruises to make them feel better. It didn't help much, it was on of those stinging creams so if anything it made it hurt more.

"Ow!" Joyce exclaimed as Taylor rubbed the large slit on his forehead. She just smiled at him.

"I don't think this cream is as helpful as it claims to be" Joyce said holding back another cry of pain.

"It hurts but it works" Taylor told him simply.

"That's easy for you to say, your not the one who looks like a hot version of Harry Potter" Joyce said rubbing the cut on his forehead. Taylor giggled.

"I guess if you're Harry Potter than Daphne's Voldermort" Taylor said.

"Shh! Don't say her name" Joyce joked and Taylor laughed at him.

"Still, what got into her?" she wondered out loud.

"I think she has anger problems" Joyce said. Taylor grinned at him.

"I'm not kidding" he feigned seriousness. Taylor just rolled her eyes.

"Yeah well. that was shocking but not as much as the thing about Mr Van Der Woodsen" Taylor said.

"Yeah, poor Lawrence. The things people will say to him" Joyce said.

"This is bad for you too. I mean he's practically your uncle" Taylor said.

"Yeah, I guess but it's worse for them" Joyce said starting to move off the bed.

"Whoever sent that blast is an asshole, that's for sure" Taylor said watching Joyce put his jacket back on. He just nodded.

"You can stay you know" Taylor mumbled. Joyce looked up at her and smiled.

"My dad's at work" Taylor said hoping that that would convince him.

"Taylor Bass, are you asking me to stay?" Joyce said trying to embarrass her.

"This is a big house for a simple Cali Girl and her servants" Taylor said innocently and gave Joyce the best doe eyes she could muster. He smiled at her and took his coat off once again. Taylor ginned and gave him a loving hug.

---

Janie Archibald sat across from her boyfriend in some coffee shop in Brooklyn. She didn't exactly like Brooklyn, but Lawrence was trying to hide from the pretentious teenagers from their school, and no self-respecting Upper East Side teenager would ever go to Brooklyn. Lawrence had picked the coffee shop himself, apparently it was his mother's favorite.

Neither of them had spoken in a long time. Lawrence had just sat there staring into space and thinking about his father's secret. As for Janie, she just sat there and watched Lawrence.

"Did you know about it?" She asked, breaking the silence. Lawrence shook his head. Even though he was sitting right in front of her, he felt very distant.

"Maybe it's just some stupid rumor some one made up. You know Gossip Girl isn't that accurate" Janie said trying to comfort Lawrence.

"Whether it's true or not people still believe it" Lawrence muttered. Janie put her hand over his and started drawing circles with her thumb.

"Well whoever sent it is just some lowlife person who has nothing better to do with their time than make up cruel rumors about other people's families" Janie said trying to think of people who disliked the Van Der Woodsens.

"What if it's true?" Lawrence thought aloud. "What if my dad is gay and the only reason we didn't know is because he didn't want to ruin our family?"

"Lawrence c'mon, you know your dad's not gay. He's a good man, he wouldn't do something so shady" Janie reassured him.

"I hope so" Lawrence said. He looked out the window and saw a bunch of girls from Constance walking by. He tried to hide his face but they spotted him. They started tapping on the window. Both Janie and Lawrence knew they were making fun of him even though they couldn't hear them. Lawrence got up and headed for the door. Janie rushed after him.

"Hey Lawrence what's it like having a dad who swings the wrong way?" One girl shouted at them when they walked out. Lawrence just started to run, Janie struggled to keep up with him.

"Can you hear him and the other men from your room?" Another shouted. Lawrence just ran faster but Janie stopped.

She ran back to the three girls and slapped each of them across the face.

"His father is not gay and even if he was what's so wrong with that? My grandfather's gay, why don't you make fun of me instead? It's the twenty-first freaking century bitches, things have changed!" she shouted at them and then rushed off after her boyfriend. She ran quite far down the street until she spotted Lawrence leaning against some wall beside an alley, panting for breath. She rushed over to him and gave him a pitying hug.

"Don't mind them. They're probably pretty pathetic to be hanging around in Brooklyn anyway" Janie said to him.

"Thank you" Lawrence whispered to her between breaths. Janie just kissed the top of his head sweetly.

---

Kyle lay on the couch lazily. He had a bowl of potato chips sitting on his belly. He was watching the video his mother had taken of the concert. Even though it had been quite a few days ago, Kyle could still feel the rush of the concert running through his veins. It had been the single greatest moment of his life and it didn't matter how many people told him that it was over and gone, he just couldn't let it go. He wanted to do it for everyday for the rest of his life.

In fact, he didn't just want to do it, he was _going_ to do it. It wasn't that hard, it had been done before. His girlfriend's grandfather had done it before. Rufus Humphrey had accomplished all his dreams in a few years and he didn't even graduate. Kyle could do that. He knew lots of people who dropped out of school to pursue their dream. Jenny Humphrey had done it. Sure she went back but she still did it. Rufus did it, and he became the number nine forgotten band of the '90s. And even his own mother did it. She was home-schooled for many years so she could pursue her film-making career. Sure his mom was an annoying nagging bitch most of the time but she should let him off with being home-schooled. She'd be a hypocrite if she didn't and Kyle knew that Vanessa hated hypocrites.

So that was the plan. He was going to convince his mom to home-school him so he could continue trying to achieve his dream. Yes, it would be hard but he could manage it. And even if she didn't go along with it at first he could always turn to his dad. They were like best friends, it would be easy to get his head around the idea. Vanessa would be tough but he could do it. He could and he would.

---

Daphne sat alone on the steps of The Met. She was just looking around at the the passers by, it made her feel mighty and powerful, something she hadn't felt in a while. In fact she hadn't been to The Met in a while. Ever since Taylor had arrived all her so-called friends hung out in that silly ice-cream place that Joyce had shown to them.

Taylor had ruined her life. Daphne didn't have anyone left, all because of that manipulative bitch, Taylor. Daphne wanted to destroy her. She wanted to hire a hit-man or something, she wanted the perfect revenge. Something that would completely ruin Taylor's life, just like she had done to Daphne. She wanted to destroy her, crush her to tiny little pieces. She knew she had to make a revenge plan, it would be un-Daphne-like not to. She just needed to find the perfect way to do it. She didn't just want revenge, she wanted to hurt Taylor so bad that she left Manhattan. No, New York. No, America!

The point was, Daphne wanted her gone, for good. She was gonna think of a plan, no matter what. She needed for Taylor to just disappear, Taylor and all the changes she brought with her. If Taylor was out of the picture then Daphne could be truly happy with her life. Not only that, but she would go back to being the queen bee. That's all she really wanted.

So she knew what she had to do. She just happened to have no idea how she was going to do it.

---

Eric sat behind his desk. He was looking over some boring paper-work. In all honesty he didn't really care about it, it was one of the most uninteresting things to do, work. He sat back in his chair and looked around his office. Something was different. He thought for a while but he couldn't figure out what. Then it hit him, his kids! Usually they stopped by his office and said hello when they got home but it was already six o'clock and neither of them had stopped by. It was weird.

Eric got out of his seat and walked out to the living room. Jenny sat on the red couch reading some old fashion magazine. Eric couldn't help but think she looked beautiful even in her simplest moments.

It was strange to think that she'd bee there for so long yet he didn't notice just how right she was for him until senior year. Since then everyone thought they were the perfect couple.

"Are our kids home?" He asked her. She glanced up from her magazine and thought about the question for a while.

"I don't think so. Why, what time is it?" Jenny replied.

"Six" Eric answered. Jenny frowned. This wasn't very like them.

Suddenly they heard the door swing open. Louise walked in with what looked like smoothie all over her. Her hair was completely messed up. Her make up was running and she smelled of fruit.

"What happened to you?" Jenny asked getting up to help her daughter.

"I was attacked by some rude St Jude's boys. They were throwing smoothies at me and shouting 'Gay dad! Gay dad!' It was horrible" Louise explained.

Eric froze. No one had spoken about his _gay phase_ in years. How did teenage boys from St Jude's know about it?

"What? Where did they hear that?" Jenny said. When Jenny was pregnant with Louise, she and Eric made a deal that they wouldn't tell their kids about Eric's interest in men since he'd gotten over it. It seemed unnecessary. Now all of a sudden they knew about it! Something clearly wasn't right.

"Gossip Girl. She sent the blast this morning. Lawrence and I have been made fun of all day!" Louise told them as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Gossip Girl? How did she find out?" Eric asked.

Before Louise could answer, Lawrence stormed in. He stopped a few feet away and glared at his family. Why were they so messed up? Louise was a bitch. His mom was annoying and his dad was...Well, his dad was gay!

"I hate you all!" he shouted and tried to storm off. Eric stopped him.

"I don't understand, how did Gossip Girl find this out?" Jenny thought out loud.

"Oh so it's true?" Lawrence said angrily, "Well isn't that just perfect!"

"Lawrence stop, don't do this" Eric begged.

"Freak out 'cause my dad's gay? Well I'm sorry but if you were in my position you'd do the same" Lawrence shouted and tried to escape his father's grasp. Eric was too strong for him though.

"Let me go!" Lawrence demanded. Eric didn't oblige.

"Let me go!" Lawrence repeated. Eric didn't move.

"Let me go you stupid fag!" Lawrence shouted even louder. Eric couldn't take it anymore. He pulled Lawrence back with all his strength and pushed him towards the couch. He pushed him so hard that Lawrence ended up sitting on it.

"You listen to me! Both of you!" Eric began shouting at his children, "I am not gay! I used to be but I'm not anymore! When Gossip Girl revealed that I was gay the first time around people made fun of me, a lot! But it's been over twenty years since all that. And I'm not gonna let you, my own children, make fun of me for something that was forgotten a long time ago! Now I understand that this is causing you two to be bullied but you have to understand that it blows over. But you have to stay strong, or else you'll live the rest of your life in unwanted shame."

Everyone was silent. Jenny walked over to her husband and put her arm around him to calm him down.

"Who tipped off Gossip Girl in the first place?" Eric finally asked. Lawrence shook his head cluelessly but Louise stared at the floor nervously.

"I might have an idea of who it could possibly be" she said hesitantly.

"Who?" Eric and Jenny both said at the same time.

"Well, I may have been trying to steal her boyfriend. And she told me that if I kept it up she would reveal things about my family. Things I didn't even know. I guess she wasn't kidding" Louise told them innocently.

"Wait so this is your fault?" Lawrence asked turning an angry glare to his sister.

"This is not her fault" Eric said sternly to Lawrence, then turned to Louise and asked "who sent it?"

"Valerie Humphrey" Louise mumbled. Yes, she hated Valerie but she didn't want to get her into too much trouble.

"Valerie Humphrey as in uncle Dan's daughter?" Jenny asked. She knew that her daughter didn't know any other Valerie Humphrey but it would be very helpful if she did. Louise nodded hesitantly. Eric and Jenny glanced at each other trying to figure out what to do.

"Should we tell them?" Jenny asked. She was unsure of what might happen if they did. Dan and Serena were family after all and it was hard to tell family that their daughter was...Well, a bitch.

---

Kyle entered the kitchen, only to find his mother half-way through making a sandwich. She looked like she was in a good mood, which Kyle considered was pretty helpful for him.

"Hey mom" he greeted.

"Hey" Vanessa said not really looking up from her sandwich.

"So, I wanted to ask you something" Kyle said slowly. It'd be better if he eased her into it.

"Go on" Vanessa said, only half-listening to him.

"Well you were home-schooled right?"

"Right."

"Would you ever recommend it?"

Vanessa frowned. Kyle didn't blame her, it was a strange thing to ask.

"Depends on the situation" Vanessa said hesitantly.

"Well, can I be home-schooled so I can work on my music?" Kyle said quickly.

"No" Vanessa answered without even thinking about it.

"Why not?" Kyle demanded.

"Because I said so. You're not being home-schooled" Vanessa said simply.

"But that's not fair. You were home-schooled. Why can't I be?"

"Because Kyle, you're not responsible enough to be home-schooled. Especially so you can focus on your musical career. You know the chances of you making it are one in a million."

"I'll take those odds" Kyle said. This was his dream and he was determined to get it.

"Kyle. You have to work really hard to have a successful band and you need to work really hard to do well in school. Eventually you're gonna get tired of all this hard work and you're gonna have to drop one" Vanessa said to him.

"Then I'll drop out of school!" Kyle said raising his voice. He knew that if he said that it would show her just how important this was to him.

"Don't even think about it" Vanessa warned. She was smiling at the fact that he was foolish enough to think he could get away with that.

"I'm serious. I want to be a musician, a successful one and I know it will be hard but that's why I want to be home-schooled. So I can commit to getting there 'cause I'll never know if I never try" Kyle insisted. There was many times when he gave up arguments with his mom, he knew they were lost causes but not this time. He was fighting for this.

"Kyle, I know this sounds harsh and that I should support you because I'm your mother but in all honesty, you're probably never gonna make it" Vanessa said.

"I will make it. You just wait and see. I'll drop out of school and you won't be able to stop me" Kyle said to her and headed for his room. He stopped in the doorway and turned back around to look at her.

"Oh, and by the way, you're a bitch" he said coldly and walked off to his bedroom.

---

Eric knocked loudly on the door of the Humphrey home. He and Jenny were both standing outside the house waiting for one of their children to answer the door already. Serena opened the door after a few seconds. Once she saw who was at the door she smiled at her brother and her sister in-law. Neither of them smiled back.

"What's wrong?" Serena asked, realizing the coldness in their stares.

"We need to talk to you and Dan about something" Eric said in a serious tone. Serena understood that whatever it was that they had to say must be important so she stepped out of the way and let the Van Der Woodsen couple enter. She led them to the sitting room and they sat themselves on the red leather sofa. Serena called Dan down. Once he joined them they sat in front of Eric and Jenny, Dan and Serena looked at them as if to ask what was wrong.

"Well" Eric began, "something pretty personal was posted on Gossip Girl about me today."

"Gossip Girl is still running?" Dan asked although everyone else ignored him.

"What was the post?" Serena asked. Dan looked at his wife as if to say _why didn't you tell me about Gossip Girl?_

"It was kind of a revelation of my _experimental_ sexual orientation from the past" Eric explained as if he was ashamed of his past.

"Oh God. And your kids?" Serena asked.

"Lawrence hates me and Louise is trying to focus on not getting teased by her peers" Eric answered.

"When did kids get so harsh?" Dan said but everyone ignored him again.

"Who sent the tips?" Serena asked generally worried for her brother and his family.

"Well that's kind of why we're here" Jenny explained.

"Louise tells us that Valerie was the one who sent it" Eric finished for her.

"No. Valerie wouldn't do something like that" Dan said shaking his head.

"Dan I know you don't want to believe this because she's your daughter and you love her but that's what Louise told us" Jenny said to her brother.

"Well, maybe you shouldn't believe everything Louise tells you" Dan retorted. Jenny looked at him with an insulted expression.

"Are you calling my daughter a liar?" Jenny threatened more than asked.

"Are you calling my daughter a gossip bitch?" Dan shot back at his younger sister.

"Dan. Maybe they're right" Serena said putting a hand on Dan's to comfort her husband.

"You're on their side?" Dan asked insulted.

"Dan I think we should just hear them out" Serena said convincing Dan.

"Okay" Dan agreed stubbornly.

"Well, Louise isn't a saint either. Apparently she's been provoking Valerie and that's why Valarie tipped off Gossip Girl" Jenny explained. Dan sighed.

"I can't believe Valerie would do something so cruel" Serena uttered to herself.

"We were shocked to hear it as well" Jenny said as Dan glared at her.

"Okay we'll talk to her" Serena said nodding understandingly.

"Thank you" Eric said and he and Jenny got up and left the Humphrey household.

Once the Van Der Woodsens had left Dan turned to Serena and said "Can you believe them?"

"Well actually, yes" Serena muttered. Dan looked at her with an appalled expression.

"Dan, you have to understand that a lot of girls do this when they're teenagers. Every girl goes through a phase of bitching to Gossip Girl, and Valerie must be going through that phase" Serena said to Dan.

"So what do we do?" Dan asked.

"We talk to her, make sure she knows her right from wrong" Serena answered.

"I thought she did know her right from wrong but I guess not" Dan said disappointed.

"Dan, lets just talk to her" Serena insisted. Dan sighed.

"Valerie?" He called out with a defeated expression. Serena smiled at him.

Valerie ran down the stairs and stood in front of her frowning parents. She gave them an innocent smile and said "what's the matter Daddy?" As sweetly as possible. Serena rolled her eyes at her daughter. She always wondered where Valerie got the idea that she could get away with anything by playing Daddy's little girl.

"Did you tip off Gossip Girl about Eric's past sexuality?" Dan asked. Serena was surprised that he went right out and said it. Normally he'd play with Valerie a little and see if he could make her confess. Today wasn't like that though, there was no mercy.

"No" Valerie said simply. She didn't want to tell too many lies in case he had proof.

"Is that so? Because Eric and Jenny seem to think differently" Dan said.

"Well they're probably upset and blamed the first person they could think of" Valerie improvised.

"Cut it out Valerie, Louise saw you" Dan said firmly. Valerie looked at the ground. Now she was panicking and there was no getting out of this one.

"Valerie, why did you do it?" Serena asked deciding to play the good cop.

"She was trying to steal my boyfriend! I told her to watch her back but she just kept on...._Flirting!_ I had to do something, it's not my fault. I warned her and she didn't listen and now she has to pay the price" Valerie rambled quickly to her parents.

"Revenge is not the answer" Serena said.

"Kyle is dating you, you have nothing to worry about" Dan said.

"But she kissed him at the concert!" Valerie moaned like a four year old fighting for the last cookie.

"You don't reveal people's personal history to Gossip Girl!" Dan shouted. Both Serena and Valerie froze in surprise. Dan rarely ever shouted. The only other time Valerie could remember Dan shouting was when he caught Joyce in his room with some blond. And even so Joyce had gotten it easy.

"Give me your phone" Dan demanded putting his hand out. Valerie knew that it would be foolish to protest so she handed him the pink flip-up.

"You're grounded. No phone or computer for the next seven days" Dan said coldly and then marched to his office to lock Valerie's phone away. Serena looked at her daughter and sighed. When did her daughter become this Upper East Side princess?

---

Joyce walked around Taylor's room inspecting every little aspect of the bedroom. The walls were baby blue. Her bed was in the middle of the room against the wall, and it was covered in a ruby red duvet that looked extremely warm. He walked over to the other side of the room where there was an electric fireplace. He looked at the three pictures on top of the fireplace. There was on of Taylor at a beach in California. She was with two other tanned, blond girls. She and her friends were smiling giddily at the camera. Joyce smiled. It was nice to see her this happy.

He looked at the picture beside it and saw Taylor and her father all dressed up with a few other men in suits. Taylor was wearing a long red gown and she had a devilish smirk on her face. Joyce thought that they were probably at some important party that Chuck forced her to go to. It was obvious, no one was there except for business men and their wives. And of course a beautiful smirking Taylor.

"That was at some business party my father threw for Bass industries after he finalized some important deal" Taylor said to Joyce as she came up from behind him.

"Interesting" Joyce said blankly.

"Not really" Taylor said, "the one on the beach is at my sixteenth birthday."

"Looks fun" Joyce said.

"It was" Taylor stated simply and smiled at the picture.

"What about this one?" Joyce asked turning to the third picture and taking it off the mantelpiece.

Taylor wasn't in this one and the quality of it told Joyce that it was quite old. In it was a girl who looked a lot like Taylor, only she had a few differences. Joyce thought she looked a lot like Mrs Archibald in her younger days. He'd seen a few pictures from Audrey and the similarities were uncanny. In the picture Mrs Archibald was smiling lovingly. Joyce looked to see who she was smiling at and saw that it was Taylor's father. He saw Chuck Bass practically unchanged in looks only he was more youthful. He was smiling lovingly back at Blair.

They were standing under a large oak tree. It looked like it was Autumn since there was brown, crispy leaves falling all around them. Blair was wearing an olive colored coat over her school uniform. Chuck was wearing the St Jude's uniform with a red, white and black scarf around his neck. Joyce recognized the scarf, he'd seen it today, hanging off a chair in Taylor's room.

The happy smiling couple were hugging each other tightly and their faces were extremely close. Joyce smiled but he didn't know why. They just looked so perfectly happy that the sight of it could make anyone feel giddy.

Taylor looked over his shoulder to see the picture of her parents in high school.

"My parents" she stated, "the day he told her he loved her."

"That's you mom?" Joyce asked. It was hard to believe seeing as Blair Archibald didn't seem like the type of person who would hide a child. But then again it was probably to protect her _perfect family_ image she'd built up along the years.

Taylor just nodded simply taking the pictures from his hands and putting in back in its place.

"Mrs Archibald is your mother?" Joyce asked just to be sure.

Taylor looked at the beige carpet under their feet and gave him a little nod.

"So...Does Audrey know?" Joyce asked. He could tell that Taylor didn't want to talk about it further but he'd witnessed the Archibald perfect family facade for so long that he couldn't help if he was curious.

"How do you think we became so close?" Taylor said giving him a half-hearted smile.

"I'm sorry for asking all these questions but, it's just..." Joyce trailed off searching for the right words in his head, "I've always had this idea of the Archibalds in my head, and this changes everything."

"I know what you mean" Taylor said, "there's not much to the story though. I was a love-child."

"I know what that feels like" Joyce said quietly.

"How?" Taylor asked looking at him curiously. This time Joyce was the one who looked down at the carpet.

"My mom was raped by some guy called _Henry Burke_. It was a dark night, she was a girl walking alone down an empty street" Joyce said quietly.

"I'm sorry" Taylor said holding his hand and drawing little circles on his palm with her thumb.

"Get's worse. When I was about two years old my mom found out she was dying from some unfortunate disease and decided to leave me with Serena and Dan, so I don't really remember her" Joyce said. Taylor looked at him pitifully. Her story was messed up but his was just tragic.

"I'm sorry" she repeated, he just gave her a sad little smile.

---

Daphne was walking home. Even though it was late at night, even though she could afford three cab rides home and back, she was walking. She didn't know why. She just needed time to think and walking always seemed to be a good way of doing it. Although thinking wasn't particularly easy seeing as the only thing going through her mind was how sore her feet were in her new stilettos.

To top it all off some guy was following her. He thought she didn't know, but she'd seen his shadow a good few times now. She knew she should call some one or do something but she was too wrapped up in revenge to really care about her own safety. So she just kept on walking. Though she was growing quite tired of the creep.

After five blocks of being followed by the same shadow Daphne lost it. She turned around only to come face to face with a large red-haired man with a dirty looking five o'clock shadow.

"Look you perv, you've been following me for ages now and if you don't cut it out I'm gonna call the freaking police. And I know a simple teenage girl isn't very intimidating to pedophiles like yourself but I nearly killed a boy today, not only that but I can remember faces really well so if you don't leave me alone I will send the police out looking for you and believe me you'll be locked up in less than an hour with the description I give them!" Daphne exclaimed. The man just smirked down at her which only infuriated her further.

"I have seen way too many frigging smirks to stay sane!" She shouted at him and started hitting him furiously with her handbag. Strangely enough the guy seemed to be getting a little scared of the fiery tempered teenager because he started to back away. Only Daphne wouldn't stop, she finally found a place to let out her anger and she wasn't able to stop. so she kept up her violent handbag attack.

"Stop! I'll leave! I'll leave!" The man pleaded. Daphne didn't stop, she just continued whack after another. Eventually the man grabbed her arms tightly and pressed her up against the nearest wall.

"I'm going!" He shouted in her face, "you girl have some serious issues" he muttered as he started to walk away. And then a thought came into Daphne's head. It was a dark and twisted thought which Daphne wasn't particularly proud of, but it was the perfect revenge, and she knew it would make Taylor disappear for good.

"Wait! Pervert!" She called out after the man. He turned around and flinched a little when he saw her running after him.

"I need you to do something for me" she said smirking. He looked her up and down wondering what the hell was going through this girl's head.

"Why would I do anything for you?" He asked.

"Because I'm the daughter of Francis Turner, the millionaire. The pay will be more than worth it" she said.

"Like what?" The man asked intrigued.

"Five thousand dollars, all I need you to do is scare off a girl I know. She's been getting on my nerves, so terrify her so that she doesn't come back" Daphne explained to him.

"That's all?" The man asked pleased at how easy his job would be.

"Yes that's all, but she's a tough one so don't underestimate her" Daphne told him, she wanted to make sure this would work on the first try.

"And what's the name of this little friend of yours?" He asked.

"Taylor Bass is anything but my friend" Daphne said smirking.

"Bass?" The man said recognizing the name.

"Will that be a problem?" Daphne asked making sure that he didn't back out.

"Not at all" he replied.

"So who do I make the cheque out to?" Daphne asked.

The man smirked and spoke.

"Henry Burke."

---

_Things are getting twisted! Daphne showed her true dark side in this chapter. Don't worry though, we won't be seeing much of Henry for a few more chapters._

_The storyline with Kyle and Vanessa is dying, I just don't know where that's going so don't be surprised if it ends abruptly. Actually tell me if you want me to continue it or not cos I might give it a try._

_Taylor and Joyce, I love writing about these two! Their little Harry Potter references make me smile. I hope you like them as much as I do!_

_And of course I can't forget the Van Der Woodsens! I'm happy Eric's not gay anymore, he goes well with Jenny. It's a shame the show made him gay, but who knows. He could always swing back the other way lol. Either way their friendship is good too._

_-Marina  
_

_In The Nect Chapter: A double date. Audrey's first. Chuck and Blair YAY!  
_


	8. Dates All Around

_I like this chapter. Mainly because of the Chuck and Blair moments! :D I hope you like reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it!_

_---  
_

**Chapter Eight - Dates All Around**

Ever since the day of the Bunnies in Panties concert everyone had considered Taylor and Joyce the hottest couple of the Upper East Side. Everyone wanted to know everything about them. So it was no surprise that everyone was staring at them as they walked up the steps to school. No one could tear their eyes away. They just stared at Joyce with his arm around a smirking Taylor. Of course there was that one set of eyes that glared instead, but recently that glare had been followed by a smirk. Almost as if she had planned some way to get them back.

As Joyce and Taylor reached the top of the stairs they were joined by Freddie and Margaret who were also acting extremely coupley.

"Hey" Margaret greeted the other two.

"Hello" Taylor said back.

"So, Fred and me were thinking, do you guys wanna go on a double date with us tonight?" Margaret asked kind of out of nowhere.

"Margaret James, are you asking us out?" Joyce said teasingly.

"Yeah sure, neither of us have anything on" Taylor replied to Margaret. She looked up at Joyce to check if he really didn't have anything on and he just nodded simply.

"Cool, so pick you guys up at seven?" Freddie asked playing along with Joyce's joke.

"Oh!" Taylor exclaimed with an idea, it almost looked like a light bulb lit up over her head.

"We can go in one of my dad's limos!"

"Oh my God yeah!" Margaret said happily. Even if she was extremely rich and lived on the Upper East Side, it wasn't everyday you got to ride in a limo. Unless you were a Bass of course.

"Alright then it's sorted" Taylor said nodding along happily. She turned to Joyce and told him she needed to go to her locker before the bell rang, and then rushed off to get her books. Feeling like a third wheel, Joyce walked off to get his own books and Margaret and Freddie were left disgusting some freshmen with their PDA.

---

The bell rang for lunch and Valerie rushed out of class. She truly hated English. The teacher picked on her and only her, she didn't know why but it annoyed the hell out of her. So she rushed out like she did after every English class, only this time she unfortunately ran straight into Audrey making poor Audrey spill all her books over the floor.

"I am so sorry" Valerie said crouching down to help Audrey pick up her stuff.

"It's fine. I know how much you hate English" Audrey said also crouching down.

"Oh, yeah! Mr Lawton is such a freak!" Valerie said while she collected some Science book.

"I had him last year, he made me write an essay on the life of a ping pong ball" Audrey said. Valerie laughed at their teacher's stupidity.

"What did you write?" She asked between giggles.

"It pings, and It pongs, and other crap like that" Audrey said now starting to giggle herself.

"You know, we haven't had a chat like this in a while" Valerie said handing Audrey the last of her books.

"Yeah, we really haven't" Audrey said in agreement.

The two girls had been best friends since they were little children. Their mothers were best friends so it was no surprise when they became so close either. The strange thing was that both girls had the personalities of their fathers. Audrey was an over-thinking daydreamer and Valerie was judgmental and thought she was better then others because she was so smart.

"We should do something tonight!" Valerie suggested. Audrey smiled and nodded.

"Dinner?" Valerie asked.

"I'm in" Audrey said standing up.

"I'll text you later about it" Valerie said and rushed off to her next class.

---

Janie looked around the courtyard to see if she could spot Lawrence. He'd been laying low ever since the gay dad thing and it made it really hard to keep track of him. She usually found him hiding in empty classrooms but it was hard enough trying to figure out which classroom he was in. She'd sent him a text asking where he was but usually he didn't write back making the search ten times harder. This time he did write back though. Janie read the classroom number and went off to find him. Once she entered the classroom she found him reading something that was written on the blackboard of the classroom.

"What's that?" she asked.

"Some complicated maths question" he answered, turning to look at her.

"So, people still giving you crap about your dad?" Janie asked. She knew they were, why else would he be hiding here? Lawrence simply nodded not wanting to discuss it further, but Janie wouldn't let it go.

"Have you talked to your dad?" she asked.

"No. I just avoid him as much as I can" Lawrence replied.

"Hey, do you want to come over to my house for dinner tomorrow. Just have a break from your family" Janie offered.

"Not really" Lawrence answered rather rudely.

"Why not?" Janie asked trying not to be insulted by his tone.

"You know I don't really like your parents" he answered cautiously.

"You've never given them a chance" Janie protested.

"Why should I? From what I've heard they're not very pleasant people" Lawrence said.

"Well where did you hear all these things?" Janie asked getting angrier and angrier at her boyfriend.

"From you" Lawrence answered simply.

"So? People complain about their parents all the time, that's no reason for you to believe what they say" Janie defended. This was the Bunnies in Panties concert all over again and she was getting sick of it.

"Yeah but...I just don't like your mom" Lawrence said.

"Give me one good reason for not liking my mom" Janie said to him angrily.

"She's a bitch. She's uptight. She's dramatic. She's too much of a perfectionist. She had a daughter with another man and lied about it!" Lawrence said counting his reasons with his fingers.

"I said one!" Janie yelled at him angrily.

"Janie, I know you don't want to believe this because you want things to go back to the way they were but things will never be the same again. Your mother has another daughter! Another daughter who she loves and spends time with. And that other daughter has a father who I'm pretty sure your mother loves more than _your_ father, and if you don't believe me just look at the Gossip Girl blasts from your mother's youth" Lawrence said to his girlfriend. Janie was raging at this point. Lawrence had driven her over the edge.

"At least my dad's not gay!" Janie shouted and stormed out of the classroom. She new Lawrence's dad wasn't gay and she knew that it was a cruel thing to say and a childish way to get him back but she was so angry that she didn't know what else to say.

---

Taylor looked at the clock. It was ten to seven. She was supposed to meet Joyce at seven so she had a pretty good idea that she would be late. She added the finishing touches to her make up and rushed downstairs. As she reached the door she heard her father's voice from behind her.

"Where do you think you're going?"

"I have a date" she answered simply.

"No you don't" Chuck said.

"Yes I do" Taylor replied. She knew by the way he was looking at her that she'd done something wrong but she had no idea what. Chuck noticed this and he reminded her.

"Your mother's coming over after work to spend time with you." Then Taylor remembered her plans with Mrs Archibald.

"You spend time with her then?" Taylor offered.

"Taylor" Chuck said in a warning tone.

"I'll call her and reschedule" Taylor said in a defeated tone. Chuck gave her a satisfied smile.

"Have fun on your date" he said to his daughter and walked back to his office.

---

The Bass limo pulled up in front of the five star restaurant that Freddie had reservations for. The two couples stepped out into the fresh New York night air.

"So is this place any good?" Joyce asked his best friend as the four of them entered the building.

"The best" Freddie answered. He got them to their table and the four of them started ordering their food. As they waited to be served Margaret recognized people walking in the door.

"Is that Valerie and Audrey?" She asked the other three. They all turned to see who she was looking at and indeed it was the two best friends.

"Don't invite them over" Joyce said quickly. Since Valerie was basically his younger sister, she liked to annoy him like a younger sister. The other three didn't seem to listen to Joyce since Taylor was waving the two girls over to them.

"Hey" Valerie said.

"Hello" Everyone minus Joyce said smirking at the pissed off Lifton boy.

"Are you guys on a double date or something?" Audrey asked.

"Yes" Joyce hissed glaring at his friends.

"Oh well we'll sit somewhere else then" Audrey suggested but Margaret and Taylor forced the two girls to sit themselves with the two couples, only to Joyce's annoyance.

"I hate you" he mouthed to them but they only rolled their eyes and smirked.

"So why are you two here?" Freddie asked starting a conversation.

"We thought we hadn't done any best friends stuff in a while" Valerie answered him.

"Could you not do best friend stuff somewhere else?" Joyce asked his _sister_ rudely. She just stuck her tongue out at him childishly.

---

Blair entered the Bass house only to be greeted by Rosalina who took her coat and left her standing alone in the living room. Blair sat herself on the black leather couch and waited for her eldest daughter to come downstairs but it had been ten minutes and still no sign of Taylor. She heard footsteps coming from the kitchen and stood up to greet her daughter only to see Chuck walking out with a glass of scotch. He stopped and looked at her with a confused expression. He then looked around the room to see if anyone else was there with her but it was only Blair.

"Did Taylor not call you?" he asked. Blair shook her head. Chuck rolled his eyes at his daughter.

"Of course she didn't" he mumbled under his breath, "Taylor's out on a double date, it seems that she _forgot_ to call you and reschedule."

"Oh right" Blair said. They both stood awkwardly, looking at each other for a minute.

"I guess I should go then" Blair said and she headed to the room where Rosalina had brought her coat. Chuck watched her walk away and then he thought about what Taylor had said to him earlier. _Why don't you spend time with her then? _Yes, why didn't he? He knew he wanted to, he missed her. And she was married to Nate so nothing would go out of hand, right? Blair came back in the room with her coat on her. She was heading for the door when Chuck spoke.

"Why don't you stay for a little while?"

Blair stopped and looked at him suspiciously.

"Why?"

"Well, we haven't had a proper conversation with each other in years. And we have a daughter together so we might as well try to be _friends_ right?" Chuck said trying to get Blair's head around the idea. She hesitated for a moment then she finally answered him.

"Okay." She took off her coat and gave it to Rosalina for a second time. Then she walked over to the couch again and waited for Chuck to join her. Chuck smiled and walked over. It was gonna be nice to catch up.

---

Janie entered the five star restaurant and scanned the room for her sister. She'd been trying to call Lawrence all day to make up with him but he never answered, and at this point Janie was worried that they were over for real. She didn't know who she should talk to about it. Her father was busy with work, her mother was off spending time with her bastard child and Audrey was a dinner with Valerie, so Audrey seemed like the easiest option. Not to mention Valerie was also really nice and could be of some help.

She spotted her sister sitting with Valerie, Freddie, Joyce and Margaret. Why were all of them there. Janie didn't exactly dislike the seniors but she found them intimidating and annoying. She thought they were all somewhat selfish and this annoyed her. She didn't want to say what her problem was in front of all these people. She didn't know what else to do though so she walked over to them anyway.

"Audrey I need your help with something" she said quickly to her. Audrey turned to look at her younger sister.

"What's wrong?" she asked simply.

"It's Lawrence. I said something really horrible to him and now he won't take my calls. What if it's really over? I don't want it to end! I love him" Janie rambled on quickly.

"Whoa. Slow down there. What did you say to him?" Audrey asked calmly.

"I may have said something about his dad being gay" Janie mumbled shamefully. Valerie looked away with a guilty expression but no one really noticed except for Janie.

"Janie, just give it time. He'll take you back eventually" Audrey said.

"But what if he doesn't? I can't lose him Audrey! I love him!" Janie whined.

"Janie you are way too young to know what love is like" Audrey said to her.

"You don't understand it though. I would have slept with him if he asked me to, that's how much I love him!" Janie said quietly so that only the people sitting at their table could hear.

"Janie, you're too young for that, you should wait. I know I would have proffered it if I waited" Audrey said to her sister in a motherly tone.

"What d'you mean if you waited. I thought you were a virgin" Margaret said to Audrey. Audrey turned to look at everyone else sitting at the table unaware that they'd been listening.

"Did you sleep with some one?" Valerie asked curiously.

"Guys leave her alone" Freddie said to the gossipy girls while Joyce just sat there amused by the whole scene. Audrey rolled her eyes at her immature friends and pulled Janie to the ladies toilets.

"Who did you sleep with?" Janie asked curiously.

"None of you're business" Audrey answered. Just at that moment Taylor came out of a cubicle with a smirk.

"I thought your cherry wasn't popped" she said to the elder Archibald daughter. Audrey rolled her eyes and walked away angrily. Janie and Taylor were left standing awkwardly with each other. Taylor began washing her hands and asked Janie what Lawrence did wrong.

"He doesn't really like my parents, so I got angry and called his dad gay even though I know he isn't" Janie explained. She didn't know why though. She didn't particularly like Taylor for obvious reasons but at least it was some help without any nonsense.

"Talk to him. Tell him you're sorry and you didn't mean it. If he loves you then he'll know that what you said wasn't really you talking. Besides he so obviously started it" Taylor said to the young girl before her as she dried her hands.

"Thanks" Janie said genuinely grateful. Taylor simply smiled at her. The blond and the brunette, both with their mother's curls walked out of the bathrooms. Taylor joined her friends back at their table while Janie waved goodbye to her _sisters_ and their friends.

Once Janie had left Valerie turned to her best friend and said "So who was you're first time?" Everyone listened intently for Audrey's answer but she just shook her head indicating that she wouldn't talk.

"Come on, tell us" Valerie begged.

"Guys, if she doesn't want to talk then don't make her" Freddie defended her again.

"Why aren't you dying to know?" Joyce asked his best friend curiously. Freddie didn't answer, he just looked away awkwardly.

"It was you!" Taylor exclaimed pointing at Freddie accusingly. She then noticed a few other people starting to look at her and she blushed.

"No it wasn't" Margaret said looking towards Freddie for confirmation but he didn't deny it. She just got up and stormed off. Audrey called out after her but she didn't stop until Freddie's strong, muscular arms pulled her back.

"You slept with her and you didn't tell me!" Margaret shouted at him. People around them started staring but she didn't seem to care.

"It's not what you think!" He insisted, "it all happened before we got together."

"Yeah right" Margaret mumbled skeptically.

"No really, it was a Summer fling. She means nothing to me now. I love you" Freddie said. Margaret looked at him hesitantly.

"Okay" she uttered and gave him a hug.

"But why didn't you tell me?"

"Because I knew you'd freak out like that" Freddie said teasingly. Margaret just smiled up at him.

---

"That was so funny!" Blair exclaimed.

She and Chuck had been reminiscing for hours now. They'd been telling each other stories of their past and they remembered all the good times they had together. Sometime throughout the night, although Blair couldn't remember when, Chuck had pulled out a bottle of vodka. And now they both sat laughing drunkenly with each other.

"Do you remember Humphrey's face" Chuck said laughing.

"Yeah, I can't believe Serena stuck with him" Blair said giggling.

"He was such a fag. Everyone knew she could do better, even Dan himself knew it" Chuck said.

"Serena didn't seem to notice though" Blair said and took another sip of vodka

"God Humphrey was pathetic" Chuck said more to himself then to Blair.

"He's not so bad" Blair said quietly, "he helped us out a lot with Taylor."

"Yeah" Chuck muttered. He looked away awkwardly, many memories of those nine months filling his mind. Blair felt bad for ruining their funny moment but both of them knew they'd have to talk about what happened eventually.

"She turned out well Chuck" Blair said sweetly, "no help from me of course."

"It's okay. I understand why you did it" Chuck said giving her a sad smile.

"Doesn't make it any less wrong" Blair admitted. She looked into Chuck's dark brown eyes. They were another characteristic that he and Taylor shared. She thought about the last few hours she'd spent with Chuck and she realized that in all her years married to Nate, she'd never had this much fun with him.

"Do you ever wonder what life would be like if I'd chosen you?" Blair asked randomly. She noticed Chuck's jaw clench a bit. She knew it hurt him to talk about it but she couldn't help herself.

"Sometimes. It'd be nice if Taylor had a mother" Chuck said.

"Don't you ever wonder what we'd be like?" Blair rephrased her question.

"All the time" Chuck said quietly. "Each time it's different, but we're happy every time."

Blair looked away sadly. She'd never admitted it to herself before but she wanted to choose Chuck. She knew if she'd stayed with him she'd really have her fairytale ending. She'd be happy, with the perfect man and the perfect life. And everything wouldn't feel so empty.

"I should have picked you" she finally said. Chuck looked up at her. Blair thought she saw a glimmer of hope in his eyes but it went away as quickly as it came. As badly as Chuck wanted her, he didn't want to be the reason for the break up of the Archibald family.

"You're good with Nate" Chuck said.

"I'd be better with you" Blair retorted.

"He loves you" Chuck said.

"So do you" Blair said, "the only difference is I love you not him." Blair knew she shouldn't be telling Chuck these things but she couldn't hide from her feelings any longer. Her heart wanted the Bass not the Archibald and so Blair was going to give her heart what it wanted. Besides, if she ever got caught, she could blame it on the alcohol. Chuck didn't say anything. He just gave her a longing stare.

"I should probably go" Blair said deciding to give up. It was clear that even if he loved her, Chuck Bass had morals. And he didn't want anyone to get hurt. He wanted things to be right. Even if it broke both their hearts. Blair got up and picked up her coat. She stumbled drunkenly towards the door but then something stopped her. Chuck spun her around and kissed her passionately. Blair remembered his kiss. The taste of scotch and cigarettes. She'd missed it so much and although she hadn't tasted him in years she still recognized it. She felt the warmth of his hands in familiar places. It was almost like a _deja vu_. She ran her hands through his hair just like she used to. She felt like a teenager all over again and it felt great. This was in fact the happiest she'd felt in a long time.

---

_I love cliffhangers! :D_

_Three cheers for Chuck and Blair! :D Don't you just love these two. They're meant to be together and it's obvious that nothing in the world can keep them apart. I love these two with a passion!_

_Audrey and Freddie, weirdness I have to say._

_Lawrence is an ass! I didn't mean for him to end up like this but he did. Actually I think both the Van Der Woodsen children are horrible._

_Oh and Taylor forgot to call Blair btw. This wasn't exactly part of her parent trap plan. But it was a lucky coincidence.  
_

_-Marina_

_In The Next Chapter: Lawrence gives the Archibalds a chance and flashbacks of the day Taylor was born.  
_


	9. Memories

_Another long chapter. Believe it or not I wrote this all in one day! I'm so proud of myself! I have to say, this is my favorite chapter in this story, mostly because of all he flashbacks. I don't know, I just enjoyed writing it more than any of the other ones. I think it's because of all the Chuck and Blair-ness! Lol_

_This chapter is mainly focused around Blair._

_Enjoy!  
_

---

**Chapter Nine** **- Memories**

_July 7th 2012_

_Blair stepped into the penthouse that she and Nate currently lived in. Dorota greeted her and took her coat as usual, she noticed something not right with Blair though._

_"Dorota can you please make me a cup of tea" Blair asked her maid lifelessly. Dorota nodded quickly and went into the kitchen. Once Dorota had gone Blair made her way to her en-suite in her bedroom. She pulled her handbag open and took out the little white stick that she had feared. She did as the box told her to and waited the amount of minutes that it required. once the time had come for her to see the results her heart started thumping ten times faster. She didn't no what she wanted the answer to be but she had a feeling that she'd be sad whatever answer she got. The only problem was she shouldn't. She should hope that it's negative, she should hope that her life would continue happily with Nate just the way she had planned._

_She picked up the dreaded little white stick and read it aloud. She read the single word she feared the most but for some reason secretly longed for as well._

_**PREGNANT**_

_Blair sighed. She leaned back against the wall and slid down until she was sitting on the cold, expensive floor tiles of her bathroom._

_"I'm pregnant" she whispered almost as if she wouldn't really believe it unless she heard it out loud. She had no idea what to do now. She didn't really realize it was happening but before she new it tears were pouring down her eyes. What about Nate? What about her future? How was she going to explain this to her family? Her friends would judge her while her family would be ashamed of her. She was engaged to Nate!_

_She could always pretend it was Nate's but he'd know it wasn't. She was sure of that. And then another problem popped into her head. How was she gonna tell the father? How would he handle it? Would he help? Blair wanted to hope so but she didn't raise her hopes too high, after all, he was Chuck Bass._

---

Blair opened her eyes drowsily. She gave a tired yawn and looked around the room she was lying in. This wasn't her room. In fact this wasn't her bed either. She wasn't wearing any clothes and the man lying beside her was most definitely not her husband. Blair thought back to the night before. She remembered drinking with Chuck, on second thought that really explained it all. She sat up pulling the covers so she wouldn't _reveal_ herself even though there was no one to look. Unfortunately her movement woke the man beside her as well. He groaned and turned to face whatever it was that disrupted his sleep. He half opened his dark brown eyes and stared at the beautiful women sitting up beside him.

"Oops" he mumbled referring to the night before. Blair just smiled sweetly at him. No matter how wrong it was, she didn't regret a single second of it. She lay back down beside him and scooted herself in closer to him. Just as they were about to cuddle, their nice moment was ruined by some one clearing their throat from the doorway. Both Chuck and Blair turned to look at their daughter standing there smirking at them.

Blair couldn't help but think that even though most of Taylor's features were inherited from Blair, she had the simplest and the best Bass characteristics, like Chuck's eyes, and jaw, and smirk.

"Long night?" Taylor asked jokingly.

"Leave" Chuck ordered her.

"Joyce is coming over, clean yourselves up, I don't want him to get freaked out" Taylor said before walking away. Chuck and Blair looked at each other.

"So now what?" Chuck asked her. Blair got out of the bed and started collecting her clothes, she didn't really seem to care that he was watching her perfect naked body.

"I guess I have a choice to make" she said to him quietly. Chuck opened his mouth to say something but Blair put a finger to his lip flirtatiously to stop him.

"I need to do this Chuck" she said as she put her clothes on. Once she was fully dressed she walked over to the door but stopped in the doorway. She turned around to look at Chuck one last time and gave him a small smile.

"I'll call you" she said and walked away.

---

Janie knocked on the door to the Van Der Woodsen household. She'd called Lawrence so many times last night that she lost count at thirty-seven calls. She eventually decided to just make him see her, although now that her plan was in action she was starting to regret it.

The door was answered by Louise who clearly didn't know that Janie and Lawrence had broken up because she invited Janie right in, and went off to find Lawrence somewhere in the large house. Janie sat on the couch waiting for the youngest Van Der Woodsen to arrive, and so he did. The boy walked in, looked Janie up and down and turned to leave again.

"Lawrence please wait! I'm sorry!" Janie pleaded. To her surprise he turned around and nodded for her to continue her apology.

"Look, you know I didn't mean what I said. I was just frustrated and angry, I didn't think about what I was saying and I am _so _sorry! Please forgive me!" Janie begged. Lawrence looked away for a few seconds thinking about what he wanted to say.

"It's okay, I started it" he said quietly not really wanting to admit his mistake. Janie smiled and ran up to hug him.

"Thank you" she whispered happily.

"Actually, I've been thinking" Lawrence began, "I wanna give your parents a chance, so how about I come over for dinner tonight?"

Lawrence could have sworn he saw Janie's face light up with happiness. She hugged him tighter and said "thank you! Thank you! Thank you!" Lawrence just smiled at the giddy Archibald girl hugging him tightly.

---

_July 21st 2012_

_Blair sat alone at the Palace bar. She was waiting for Chuck to arrive but of course the Basshole was running late. Blair didn't even know why she was bothering to tell him, she knew he'd freak out and pretend it's not his or make her pretend it's Nate's or something stupid like that. To be honest, Blair had considered all those options but she didn't want to be a liar for the rest of her life. She knew it would slowly eat her up inside. Besides, there was the odd chance that the child that was supposedly Nate's came out looking like Chuck Bass. Blair couldn't take that chance._

_She saw him walk through the door in his usual Bass swagger. He was wearing a purple suit, of course. He had a small smirk on his face, almost as if he won something._

_"Wipe that smirk off your face" Blair hissed at him. She didn't want him to be his smug self for this._

_"Come back for more Waldorf?" Chuck asked, his face unchanging._

_"Seriously, get rid of that smirk or else I'll do it for you" Blair warned him._

_"Don't be ashamed of it, you're not the first" Chuck said, his smirk growing more and more smug, if that was possible._

_"I'm pregnant, it's yours" Blair said simply. It was almost like she blurted it out but she wanted to just get it over with so there was no point in playing Chuck's silly games. Indeed she did wipe the smirk away because as soon as the words left her mouth his smirk fell and his face froze._

_"B-but...Maybe it's Nate's" Chuck mumbled childishly._

_"It's yours Chuck. Nate and I haven't 'been together' since God knows when" Blair admitted. Chuck just sat there silently, not really quite sure of what he should or shouldn't say._

_"Would like a drink?" Some random bartender asked the two brunettes._

_"Just water for me and get a scotch for him."_

_"Neat" Chuck added. The bartender nodded and got them their drinks. Blair took a sip of her water and stared at Chuck waiting for him to do something. He just sat there like a statue though._

_"You don't have to be there, and you don't have to give me money. I have a job and I'm not making you do anything you don't want to" Blair said hoping it would help him react._

_"No, I want to be there" Chuck finally answered to Blair's surprise._

_"What about Nate?" He asked the chestnut curled beauty sitting before him._

_"Well, I have an idea that Nate may be daft enough to fall for" Blair said. Chuck nodded for her to continue._

_"Well, I already told Serena and she offered to help me out. I tell Nate I have some sort of foreign business trip to attend to for a few months. I stay with the Humphreys and you come over every now and again to check up on me. We don't tell anyone else and Nate won't ever have a clue" Blair said, proud of her plan._

_"That could work, but what about after it's born?" Chuck asked talking as if they were talking about a monkey or something. Blair didn't answer him. To be honest she hadn't really thought about that part. She was too busy thinking of ways to stop Nate form finding out._

_"We'll think of that along the way" Blair said. Chuck just nodded._

_"So what now?" Chuck asked after an awkward silence and a sip of his scotch._

_"I'll call you" Blair said. She stepped off the bar stool and walked elegantly out of the bar. Chuck watched her leave just as he had always done and would be doing a few more times in the future, only he didn't know it yet._

_---­_

Blair stepped into the Archibald household hoping that no one was home. She wasn't in the mood to face her families suspicious stares. She hadn't come home the night before so she knew Nate would be curious, and he knew she went to spend time with Taylor. Nate may have been a bit dumb but he was smart enough to put those pieces of the puzzle together. She walked up to her room to have a shower and get changed. She needed to get rid of these clothes before Nate found them. They still smelled like cigarettes and aged scotch, just like _him_.

Once she'd gotten out of her shower and gotten dressed again she made her way down to the kitchen realizing that her last meal was lunch from the afternoon before. There she ran into the very man she wanted to avoid, her husband.

"Hello" he said simply when he noticed her presence.

"Good morning" she said acting as casual as she could.

"So where were you last night?" Nate asked trying to pretend that he didn't have a good idea about where she could have been.

"Well, after my night with Taylor I went over to see Serena and we went out for drinks because we haven't seen each other in a while. We got a bit drunk and next thing I remember is waking up on the Humphrey couch" Blair lied easily. Lying was almost like a second language to Blair. She'd been doing it for years. In fact when she really thought about it she lied every time she told Nate she loved him.

"Okay" Nate said simply. Blair was surprised that he believed her so quickly but then she remembered that Nate was trying to _trust_ her more after he found out about Taylor. Yeah right. Blair wasn't buying it. She knew he had his suspicions, she just hoped he didn't know how right he was.

"Lawrence is coming over for dinner" Nate announced to his wife.

"Okay" Blair said simply.

"I'm just gonna go upstairs and rest my head for a while" she told him awkwardly and walked off. She had a lot of thinking to do and she once again had to make the choice she thought she'd made years ago. Only this time she wanted to choose the right guy.

---

"Blair" Nate woke his wife up. She looked around the room and realized that she'd fallen asleep.

"How long did you stay up for last night?" Nate asked. Blair couldn't help but blush at that question. Nate wouldn't never know this but nights spent with Chuck were always very long and exhausting nights, but they were _always_ worth it!

"You know Serena, quite the party animal" Blair lied again. This was almost like a bad habit.

"Lawrence is here, he's waiting for us" Nate told his wife. Blair got up and fixed her hair and make up, then the two made their way downstairs.

When they arrived they saw their two daughters and Lawrence already sitting at the table. Lawrence and Janie were sitting on one side while Audrey sat across from Janie. Blair sat next to Audrey and Nate at the top of the table.

"Hello Lawrence" Nate said to the teenage boy.

"Hello Mr Archibald, Mrs Archibald" Lawrence said nodding towards them.

"Lawrence you can call us by our first names if you want" Nate offered in a friendly way but Lawrence just told him he'd rather not. Normally Blair would have thought this rude and would have given him a disapproving look but she had other things on her mind. Unfortunately for her Janie, Nate, Audrey and even Lawrence noticed.

"Mom are you okay?" Audrey asked. Being the family member who knew the most about her mother's past she was always the most worried.

"No, just a little tired" Blair lied. Everyone nodded along but Blair had a feeling that at least half the table didn't believe her, and she was sure that Nate's suspicions had gotten worse by now. Sooner or later they'd get the best of him.

Dorota placed the dinner in front of them. It was a basic dinner, a simple spaghetti bolognese.

---

_November 12th 2012_

_Dan placed a plate of spaghetti bolonese in front of Blair. She stared at it as if it was some sort of mutated beast. Sure she was pregnant and hungry all the time but that didn't mean that she was about to start eating random microwavable meals. Dan noticed her disgusted look and laughed a little._

_"Five months living here and you still haven't adjusted to simple foods" he said smiling._

_"This is food?" Blair said disgustedly. Dan just laughed again. Serena placed three plates on the table along with cutlery and cups. Blair looked at this placement strangely._

_"Chuck's coming for dinner" she reminded Serena, as if it wasn't obvious already._

_"Right, I forgot" Serena said giving Blair a little smile. Her usually expressive eyebrows said that they thought Blair was starting to have a little thing for Chuck. God Blair wanted to shave them off!_

_Serena put in the extra placing and the three waited for Chuck._

_Blair was six months pregnant at this point and she was well showing. Of course she still wanted to look fabulous even though she never left the house because she was supposedly in France on business. Dan was getting quite annoyed with taking care of Blair's every need. Even though Blair was the one having a baby it felt like Blair herself was the baby. And Dan was the nanny while Serena was out filming the next box office smash hit._

_When Chuck finally arrived the four of them all sat around and ate the "disgusting" spaghetti bolognese. Just like Blair, Chuck gave one look at the meal and pretended to gag until Serena gave him a warning look, again using her expressive eyebrows._

_They were all eating dinner and halfway through a conversation about musicals, when Blair's cellphone started ringing. They all had a pretty good idea of who it was. Since Blair had told Nate that the only way to contact her was through her cellphone, she usually got a daily phone call. Blair thought it was flattering at first that he called everyday, then three months into it she started thinking it was clingy and annoying._

_She answered the phone the same way she always did._

_"Hey sweetie, hows New York?"_

_She got up and went into another room to try to get rid of her fiancee. Once she had gone Serena turned to Chuck and asked "so you and Blair, how's that going?"_

_Chuck hesitated for a minute, unsure of what to say._

_"Honestly, I don't know" he answered._

_"Well, what are you guys?" Serena rephrased her question._

_"She's engaged to Nate" Chuck said. Serena thought she could see a flicker of sadness in his eyes, but before she was sure it disappeared._

_"Well do you like her?" Serena asked._

_"Like? Come on Serena we're not in high school" Dan said but the other two ignored him. He didn't understand that in Chuck's nature using high school words were very appropriate when it came to his relationships. Chuck opened his mouth to answer but before any words left his mouth Blair joined them once again._

_"He is so annoying" were the first words coming out of his mouth, "I swear I don't know how I'm gonna marry him!"_

_"Then don't" Serena said immediately glancing at Chuck to see his reaction. He didn't do anything that gave his feelings away though._

_"It's not that simple" Blair insisted._

_"Only because you're not making it simple" Dan said. Blair just gave him a glare and he immediately backed off._

_"Great spaghetti Dan" Chuck said changing the subject. Since Blair was hormonal, whenever she got angry it was twice as bad and although Chuck didn't like Dan very much, he didn't want Blair to go to prison for murder._

_"I think it tastes like moldy cow dung" Blair said looking at it in disgust._

_"Because you know what that tastes like" Dan shot at her, causing him to receive another death stare._

_"You'll learn to love it" Serena said simply. She was right._

_---_

"Mom? Are You okay? You haven't touched your food and spaghetti is your favorite" Audrey said to her mother with a worried expression. Everyone else just watched and waited for her to answer. Blair said it was just a random little daydream. At this point almost everything she told them was a lie, this was getting ridiculous.

"Funny story about how spaghetti became her favorite food" Nate began telling the story to lighten the mood, "it happened when she went away and when she came back she randomly started loving the simplest and cheapest food, like spaghetti bolognese."

"When she went away where?" Lawrence asked curiously.

"To France for a business..." Nate didn't finish his sentence. It suddenly hit him where she was when she gained this love for spaghetti. It also reminded him of who she was with and why she was with him. There was an awkward silence. Then something inside of Blair snapped. She decided she'd had enough, enough awkward silences, enough pretending everything was okay and most of all, enough lies.

"I slept with Chuck last night" she blurted out. The awkward silences got worse, of course this only frustrated Blair more.

"Enough of the awkward silences!" She exclaimed angrily. Everyone looked at her with an appalled expression. Everyone except for Nate who couldn't bare to look at her.

"Mom!" Janie finally shouted, "we have a freaking guest!"

Nate got up, he couldn't stand to stay here any longer. He didn't say anything or even glance at Blair, he just stormed off. Audrey sighed and buried her face in her hands from beside her mother.

"Well, I gave them a chance and once again they've proved you wrong" Lawrence said and he got up and left. Janie didn't protest, she didn't try and stop him, she juts watched him go. She knew that right then and there it was over. He'd never like her parents and she'd never forgive him for it. Once he'd gone she looked at her mother but she wasn't secretly judging her, this time she understood. Blair had tried to make it work but it just didn't, they weren't meant to be together. Now, Janie finally respected her mother and all the decisions she'd made, they seemed cruel but it was all with good reason. Blair looked at her daughters sadly, hoping that they didn't hate her.

"We don't" Janie reassured her almost as if she read her mind.

"We understand why you did it" Audrey added.

"Thank you" Blair whispered. Then she got her coat and left the house. She could have stayed and tried to fix her family, but she finally made her choice. She'd chosen between the blond and the brunette. And this time she knew she'd chosen the right one.

---

"Chuck?" She called form the hall of the Bass household.

"Chuck?"

"He's in his office" Taylor said form the top of the stairs.

"Last door down the hall in front of you" she directed her mother. Blair nodded a thank you to the younger version of herself and ran down the hall. She didn't bother to knock, she just ran right in. When she walked in he was reading some paperwork but as soon as he heard her his head shot up.

"Blair?"

"I choose you" she said to him. She was expecting him to smile, or smirk. Jump for joy, maybe kiss her but he didn't do any of that. He just sat their with a slightly disappointed look on his face.

"What?" Blair asked clearly noticing something was wrong.

"You should go with Nate" he said to her with a heart-broken expression.

"Not this again" Blair mumbled rolling her eyes at him.

"You have to be with Nate" Chuck rephrased.

"Why? Why do I have to be with Nate? Why can't I be with you?" Blair shouted angrily. She was sick of this game of cat and mouse with him. She loved him and he loved her, there should be nothing keeping them apart.

"Because" was all Chuck could answer.

"Because what Chuck? Tell me!" She demanded.

"I'm dying" he said, "I have a heart disease and according to the doctors could go any day now. Taylor doesn't know. My life is practically a game a of Russian roulette, I'm just waiting for the bullet to come around."

"What?" Blair said speechlessly.

"That's why I came back. I can't leave Taylor on her own the way I was. So I brought her here knowing you'd want to get to know her, that way when I left she'd still have a mother" he explained sadly.

"Well, what if I didn't want to get to know her?" Blair asked.

"I would have asked Serena. She and Humphrey are practically the _Brangelina_ of this decade" he replied. Blair didn't say anything more. She understood everything perfectly now. Even if she chose Chuck, even if she wanted him, she had to pick Nate. Nate could help her. It would be easier to have three daughters if she had a man to give her a hand. It broke both their hearts to admit it. Even though they loved each other, even though they could not be more perfect for each other, they could never be together.

Before Blair knew it tears were streaming down her face. The man she loved was dying. Even though she'd lost him so many times, she thought he'd always come back and now he was going for good. The sad thing was they never had a real chance together. Blair realized that at this point Chuck was hugging her. She cried muffled sobs into his chest. He just pet her head sweetly and gave her light kisses.

"I love you" she whispered.

"I love you too" he said back.

"I'll always love you" Blair said and a few more tears fell from her eyes. He lifted her chin up so that their brown eyes met. And then he kissed her, only this kiss was different then all the other kisses. There was something more to it. Something they never had before. And at that moment both Chuck and Blair knew they were meant to end up together even if that end was nearer than they thought.

---

_February 14th 2013_

_Blair was lying on a hospital bed holding Chuck's hand. She was at this point pushing her baby out, but she wasn't complaining. Even in pregnancy she wanted to be a lady, no matter how much it hurt. Chuck surprisingly noticed this though._

_"You know you can complain if you want. You're pregnant, do you really think anyone cares if you're not ladylike right now?" He said to her smiling at her silliness. Blair just looked at him and she saw the sincerity and love in his eyes, and she actually listened to him because when the next push came around she didn't hold back._

_"Holy Mary mother of God, this feels like crapping out Serena's holiday suitcase!" Blair shouted from the pain. Chuck simply laughed at her. When the pain went away she just sighed and looked up at him._

_"Thank you, for being here" she said to him._

_"I wouldn't miss it for the world" Chuck said and kissed her lightly on her forehead. She smiled but it was interrupted by the pain of having to push once again._

_"Oh dear Lord!" she exclaimed and squeezed Chuck's hand so tightly that his fingers started turning purple._

_"We've got a head" the doctor announced to Chuck and Blair. Chuck smiled happily but Blair just screamed even more._

_"Come on, you're nearly done" Chuck told her encouragingly._

_"Chuck, before this is over I need to tell you something" she said between breaths and screams of pain._

_"Anything" Chuck said simply._

_"I never wanted to end it with you. I know I've always said I have to be with Nate, but I don't want to. You're the one who I've wanted all this time" she screamed more but she didn't stop, "Chuck I..." but before she could tell him they both heard a baby's cry coming form the other end of Blair. They both looked down to see their child for the first time. The doctors cleaned her up, carried her over and handed her to Blair._

_"It's a girl" the nurse said to them smiling kindly. They both looked at the tiny baby girl lovingly._

_"She's beautiful" Blair said, her eyes starting to water with joy._

_"Of course she is, she looks like you" Chuck said leaning in closer. Blair blushed a little at the flattery._

_"She has your jaw" She said touching her daughter's face softly with her pinky, "I bet she'll have you're smirk too."_

_"All Basses have to have that smirk" Chuck said using said signature smirk. At that moment Serena and Dan entered the room and rushed over to crowd around Blair._

_"Oh my God she's gorgeous!" Serena said smiling._

_"Hey Blair, she looks like you" Dan said noticing the obvious Waldorf features._

_"What's her name?" The nurse asked holding some paperwork._

_"She looks like a Taylor" Chuck said not moving his eyes away form the beautiful child in the arms of his dream woman._

_"Taylor Serena Bass" Blair said. Serena looked at her best friend flattered._

_"Taylor Serena Bass, born ad quarter past six on the fourteenth of February 2013" the doctor announced._

_"Also known as Valentine's day" Dan added, though no one listened to him._

_"I like it" Chuck said smiling to his step-sister._

_"Do you want to hold her?" Blair asked Chuck. He looked a little nervous at first but Blair didn't doubt him. She handed him little baby Taylor. He looked down at her smiling the most genuine smile Blair had ever seen him make. He looked truly and honestly really happy. Serena and Blair smiled at the beautiful sight of the father and daughter for the first time. Even Dan couldn't help but throw in a little 'aw'. At that moment Blair saw just how much Chuck really loved his daughter, she could tell that that love would never go away. The only bad thing about it was tearing that love apart. She hadn't asked Serena to do it yet. She wanted Serena to do it so even she wouldn't know and she'd never be tempted to track that girl down. Even though Blair was about to admit her love for Chuck and throw her whole future away a few minutes ago. She knew she couldn't do it. She had to send Taylor away and that broke her heart. So when Chuck smiled giddily at her, she gave him a sad little smile back. And when he asked what was wrong she told him she was just fine, and so began the habit of little white lies that would continue on for the rest of her life._

_---_

Blair stepped into Nate's office and cleared her throat so that he'd notice her presence. He looked up at her but when he realized who it was he just looked back down again and pretended she wasn't there.

"I'm sorry. I really am. I know what I did is wrong and that it hurt you and honestly I don't think there's anything more that I can say to you then I'm sorry and I love you and I want to try and make this work" she said to him simply.

"I want it to work too, but I know you're just gonna keep going back to Chuck" Nate said.

"Trust me, I won't. He won't let me, he doesn't want to be the reason we break up" Blair said.

"But you love him" Nate said.

"I love you" Blair insisted without denying Nate's first accusation.

"You love him more" Nate insisted said.

"Nate just give me a chance" Blair begged, she didn't deny it because she didn't want to lie to him anymore, so now she was gonna stick with simple half-truths.

"I need this" she said.

"Okay" Nate said with a defeated expression. Blair smiled simply at him and said thank you.

---

_February 15th 2013_

_"Where is she Blair?" Chuck demanded to the woman with chestnut curls._

_"I don't know Chuck!" Blair shot back at him._

_"Of course you know, you're the only one who can know!" He hissed at her._

_"I swear to God Chuck, I don't know! And you know what it's better that neither of us know, now we can get on with our lives!"_

_"We could have had our lives with her in them!" Chuck shouted._

_"Well, it's too late now Chuck, she's gone!" Blair shouted back._

_"I can't believe you did this. Of all the sick and twisted things you've pulled this is by far the worst! I can't believe you sent her away without telling me! And now you're pretending you don't know where she is! And for What Blair? So you can have your happily ever after with Nate? You gave away your own daughter!" Chuck shouted. Every single word he said stung. One after another he just didn't back down. Blair had hurt him badly this time, it wasn't like the other times. This time she could tell that he really hated her._

_"I can't believe you!" Chuck shouted. Blair didn't defend herself. She knew he was right. She'd given away his daughter, the daughter he so clearly loved more than anything in the world. Blair had taken it away form him._

_"I'm sorry Chuck, I was doing what was best!" Blair insisted._

_"Best for who? For you? Nate? You can keep telling yourself that but we both know that's not what's best!" Chuck shouted._

_"Chuck please" Blair pleaded._

_"No! I've had it with you and you're perfect fantasy finish! I'm done with this" he said to her cruelly._

_"So there's you're happy ending Waldorf! I hope it's everything you ever dreamed of!" he hissed coldly then stormed off. And that was the last time Blair saw him, until one faithful New Year's Eve that is._

_---_

_Did you love it as much as me?_

_Poor Chuck! I know you probably hate me for doing this to him but that's how this story goes! Chuck and Blair are the perfect ending though, even if she ends up with Nate. Everybody knows it!_

_-Marina_

_In The Next Chapter: Georgina Sparks...Saint or sinner?  
_


	10. Georgie's Misdeeds

_Okay, first of all I am so sorry this took so long. I mean to update sooner but I have actually been so busy it's unbelievable. Just last week I got mugged, they took my phone and it was freaking scary! But that's besides the point._

_I'm really happy with how this chapter turned out. I've realized I'm good at writing about evil characters. Lol. So anyway, there's a bit of swearing in hear but I hope you like it._

_p.s._

_I didn't I'm too tired and lazy to proofread so just ignore any mistakes. But if they confuse you feel free to ask for an explanation.  
_

---

**Chapter 10 - Georgie's Misdeeds  
**

Phoebe Sparks looked around the school courtyard to find her boyfriend. She spotted him in one corner sitting with all his friends. Jake was always quite popular while Phoebe herself didn't really have friends, all she had was Jake. So of course, it didn't help that she and Jake weren't the same as they used to be. Ever since his mother had said those things to him about her mother, things between them were just awkward. Phoebe wanted to blame Mrs Humphrey but she knew it really wasn't her fault. She must have some reasons for those accusations on Georgina, Phoebe just hoped that those reasons weren't too accurate. Phoebe had heard stories about her mother, she knew for a fact that her mother had done horrible things. She just didn't know what exactly those horrible things were. She'd never bothered to find out, mostly because she was afraid of the truth though.

She strutted up to her boyfriend and greeted him with a deep kiss. Several of Jake's friends wolf-whistled at them while others clapped jokingly. When Phoebe pulled away Jake gave her a sweet smile he had inherited from his mother.

"Hello" he said unable to wipe the smile off his face.

"I need to talk to you about something" Phoebe told him. She wanted to get this Georgina issue dealt with as soon as possible so she had no other option but to be straight forward with Jake.

"Okay" he said hesitantly and Phoebe led them to a pillar nearby.

"Things have been awkward since the concert" Phoebe stated. Jake just nodded along, he wasn't exactly sure what to say to that.

"I want it to stop" Phoebe demanded.

"Okay" Jake said, still unsure of what to say.

"Well what can I do to make it stop?" Phoebe asked him.

"Talk to your mother" he answered. That, he had something to say about.

"If she hasn't told me in all these years why would she tell me now?" Phoebe said.

"Because you asked her" Jake said like it was the most obvious thing in the world. He was right, the only reason Phoebe didn't know anything about her mother's past was because she was afraid to ask questions. She was afraid that the truth would be too much to handle. That's why she never asked her mother who her father was and why he wasn't around, or why all the Upper East Side parents hated her. Phoebe was afraid of getting hurt so she avoided awkward situations, like asking her mother personal questions.

Phoebe sighed.

"Fine. I'll ask her" she told her boyfriend. He gave her a satisfactory smile and rejoined his friends.

Phoebe sighed again. She wasn't looking forward to this one bit.

---

Jenny stepped out of her favorite coffee shop into the New York morning air. She loved mornings, they were always so refreshing. She couldn't help but notice, as she walked down the street in her expensive stilettos, that she was extremely happy for some strange reason. She liked feeling like that though. It was a bit of relief since the whole _Eric being gay_ issue with her kids. She walked a few blocks taking small sips of her coffee, seeing as it was still rather hot. she turned a corner and then saw two familiar people in the distance. She wasn't one hundred percent sure, but she had a feeling that it was Chuck Bass and Georgina Sparks. _That's weird_ she thought. She thought it was just people who looked like them seeing as Chuck and Georgina weren't really friendly, but as they got closer she saw that it really was them. Jenny herself didn't go unnoticed because Georgina spotted her when they were a few meters away from each other.

"Hello Jenny" Georgina said politely.

"Hey Georgina, Chuck" Jenny said cautiously. She didn't quite know how to react to this duo. Not only did Jenny dislike Georgina but she also was unfortunate enough to know that Georgina was the reason Bart Bass was dead because a drunk detective told her at the Humphrey's New Year's party.

"I didn't know you two were friends" Jenny said. She knew that it was a bit of a strange thing to sya but she wanted to know how Georgina had manipulated her way back into Chuck's head.

"Well, we ran into each other a few weeks ago and we've been catching up" Chuck explained.

"Turns out we have quite a lot in common. Both single parents, grown out of their tumultuous habits of self-destruction" Georgina said. Jenny knew what she was talking about. Chuck had been a bit of a drinker in his youth, as Georgina was a coke head. Jenny could believe that Chuck was over it, or at least not as much of a heavy drinker as he used to be, but she wasn't sure what to believe when it came down to Georgina Sparks.

"Well, that's nice" was all Jenny could say. She felt horrible. She wanted to tell Chuck everything she knew. She wanted to warn him of the dangers that the elder Sparks carried with her. But she knew she couldn't. When you were up against Georgina you had to be sneaky and wise with everything you said and did. After all, she was one of the most sinister people anyone could ever come across in their entire life.

"You know, I should be getting to work. I guess I'll see you two around" Jenny said.

"Bye" Chuck and Georgina said simultaneously. Jenny nodded goodbye and rushed past the two _friends_. She didn't know what to do now. She was worried for Chuck, but somewhere in the back of her head, a little voice inside of her was trying to convince her that maybe Georgine had changed. And although Jenny didn't want to take that risk she just went along with the voice, at least until she figured out what to do.

---

Jake sat in his bedroom in front of his laptop. He'd been on the internet for hours now looking through old Gossip Girl archives to see what he could find out about Phoebe's mom. He trusted Phoebe to ask her mother but he knew that Phoebe sugar-coated the truth whenever it was unpleasant, so he was going to do a little research for himself just in case that happened. There was also the small chance that Georgina would lie to her daughter and Jake didn't want to take that risk. He was very loyal to his family, they were important to him, so it mattered to him if his girlfriend's mother was a bitch who messed with his own mother's life. He clicked back through his parents teenage years. He found that there was many things he didn't know, not only about Georgina Sparks but about his parents and their friends. It was strange reading all the old blasts. There was things here about his parents that he would never dream of doing, it amazed him what type of people Serena and Dan really were.

He clicked back a few more months and found a few things about Georgina. He learned that she had messed with his mother for a while towards the end of her junior year. She had come between her mother an father. And then Jake saw it. It was a picture of his seventeen year old father and a seventeen year old Georgina kissing. It creeped him out. Not only was Georgina evil but she and her dad had kissed. It sent shivers down his spine and not in a good way at all.

"Jake, what are you doing?" His mother's voice asked from the doorway. She walked over to see what Jake was looking at on his laptop. He tried to exit out of the page but she caught a glimpse of it before it was gone.

"Why are you looking at that?" She asked a little more sternly than before.

"Things between Phoebe and I have been a little awkward lately. I find it kind of hard to trust her with her mother's past so I asked Phoebe to ask her mom about it. Unfortunately Phoebe has a habit for making things a little less serious then they really are so I'm doing my own personal research" Jake explained. Serena nodded along understandingly.

"Honey, you should trust Phoebe. Just because her mother was a sinister witch doesn't mean her daughter is the same" Serena insisted to her son but the fact that she used the words _sinister witch_ to describe Georgina just made him uncomfortable.

"Well could you tell me some things about Georgina, just so I can be sure" he asked his mother. She sighed and flicked back a blond clump of hair.

"She was very manipulative" Serena began explaining. "She could get you to do something you didn't want to and you wouldn't notice it until the deed was done. She liked seeing other people's messed up lives, I think it made her feel less screwed up. Kind of like a defense mechanism sort of thing. It all seems quite pointless though, she's fucked up from the inside out down to her soulless core of evil."

Jake flinched as his mother described the Sparks mother. His mother had never talked like this about anyone ever, It only made Jake more and more nervous about the outcome of his whole trust issues with Phoebe.

"Don't worry" Serena assured him, "I'm sure Phoebe's not like that, I've met her. She seems sweet."

"Did Georgina seem sweet when you first met her?" Jake asked letting Serena know just how paranoid he was. She didn't reply, the truth was Serena didn't like Phoebe dating Jake. She had a pretty good idea that any child raised by Georgina Sparks was as evil as her mother, if not worse. Serena just couldn't believe that anyone in the Sparks family could be at all good, after all, Georgina was practically Satan herself in flesh and blood.

"Just don't worry about it, okay?" Was all the reassurance Serena could give her son and she walked out of the bedroom.

Jake sighed. He had a feeling that this was the beginning of the end.

---

Phoebe heard the loud clacking of her mother's designer heels on the expensive marble floor of the Sparks home. She looked up from the homework she was pretending to do to see her mother standing gracefully in front of her staring down at her daughter. The two women were very alike in appearance with a few exceptions. However, neither of them knew just how far apart they were in personalities.

Georgina's mesmerizing, blue eyes stared into her daughters tropical, hazel colored ones. Phoebe saw pride in her mother's stare, almost as if Georgina was happy to see that Phoebe didn't turn out as messed up as she once was in her past.

"We're having the Basses over for dinner tonight" Georgina finally announced to her daughter. Phoebe simply nodded. She knew who the Basses were. She was very aware that Chuck Bass and her mother had become very close friends in the past month or so, and she had heard countless rumors and stories about eh Bass daughter. Phoebe didn't mind the company, it wasn't like she had many friends outside of Jake. And then she remembered the questions she had to ask her mother so that she and her boyfriend could finally move forward.

"Mom can I ask you something?" Phoebe began.

"Sure" Georgina said simply, completely unaware of what sort of questions Phoebe had in mind.

"Well, I know that you did some _bad_ things in your past. I was just wondering what sort of stuff they were and would you ever do any of those things again?" Phoebe mumbled loud and clear enough for Georgie to hear. Georgina hesitated a moment with her answer, she wanted to make sure that she explained everything right.

"I did _a lot_ of bad things in my past. I don't want to tell you what they were but I did do drugs and manipulated people, let's just leave it at that. But I regret a lot of the things I've done, and I wouldn't consider doing them again" Georgina explained. She was as blunt as possible. She figured it was easier for her daughter to take it all in if she used silly half-truths.

"Okay, well, I just needed to know" Phoebe explained her purpose.

"It's okay, I expected you to eventually ask me these things" Georgina said.

"Who's my father?" Phoebe blurted out randomly. It was kind of a spontaneous spur of the moment type thing. It was just a burning question that had always been in the back of her mind and now seemed like the appropriate time to ask.

Georgina froze. She wasn't quite sure how to react to this. She knew from the moment she found out she was pregnant that this question would come she just never really knew how to answer it, mostly because Georgina herself was as curious to know as Phoebe was. Georgina could remember the night it happened extremely well for some one who was stoned out of her mind.

She was at a club one Saturday night. She was completely out of it. The room was already spinning violently and there were no people, only colorful blobs. She remembered some blob whispering sweet nothings into her ear for a while, she remembered thinking how pointless this was. She was high, he could just fuck her and leave, it's not like she would remember. Funnily enough, she did. After a while of uttering dirty suggestions into Georgina's ear the blob pulled her into the gentleman's restroom and tried some of those dirty suggestions with her in the third cubicle. Georgina couldn't remember the rest of the night. She just remembered a pattern of morning sickness and the realization dawning on her that she'd screwed up real bad this time.

Georgina shook herself out of her memories and stared at her daughter's features. She had a few of her blob father's features. If Georgie wasn't so wasted on the night it happened she might have been able to remember at least a silhouette rather than just a blob.

"Your father didn't know he had a daughter" Georgina said truthfully.

"Why didn't you tell him?" Phoebe asked curiously. She was desperately trying to understand her mother but realized that she was a lot more complex than she let on.

"He would have denied it anyway" Georgina said. Phoebe had many more questions for her mother but something in her eyes told her that she didn't have that many answers. Phoebe hated how unclear her mother's answers always were but she had to live with them. They were all she was gonna get and at least they were something.

"Okay. Thanks mom" Phoebe said and carried on pretending to do algebra.

---

Dan, Serena, Eric and Jenny all sat around the Humphrey dinner table enjoying the dinner that was especially made for the two married couples. They had one of these dinners at least once a month. It was their way of family bonding. Usually the kids were involved but tonight they all seemed to be busy with something, God know what. The parents tried not to get too involved, they had their own scandalous pasts and it would be hypocritical of them to stop their children from doing the same. After all, that was the way they learned anyway.

The two couples were in a conversation about old friends and people they never saw often anymore and then Jenny remembered the interesting duo that she had run into that morning.

"Oh my God, you'll never guess who I ran into this morning" she told the other three.

"Who?" her older brother asked curiously.

"Chuck Bass and Georgina Sparks getting coffee together. Apparently they're friends" Jenny said.

"That's ridiculous" Eric said. He and Chuck were quite close so he found it hard to believe that Chuck was gullible enough to re-friend Georgina Sparks.

"Why is it that Georgina seems to come up in all my conversations today?" Serena muttered to herself. The other three looked at her strangely.

"Well today Jake was looking through old Gossip Girl archives to find out stuff about her. He's dating her daughter and is getting a little paranoid. Honestly I don't blame him. I've met the girl and she seems nice but then again so did Georgina. I don't know maybe she has changed but I wouldn't put my money on it" Serena rambled on.

"I wouldn't either" Jenny said simply. The simple facts that she knew about Bart Bass' death was starting to eat her up from the inside out. She was trying to figure out a way that she could simply slip it into the conversation but it wasn't something you just mentioned and forgot about.

"Maybe she has changed" Dan suggested.

"Dan, seriously?" Was all Serena could say to her delusional husband.

"Have actually talked to her since she returned?" Dan asked the blond bombshell sitting next to him. Serena didn't answer. She just rolled her eyes at him.

"I agree with Serena. Chuck's having dinner with her tonight and I have half the mind to go down there and tell him to forget about that witch and go home" Jenny said having another attempt at the subtle revelation.

"Well she's done bad things but you know maybe she's grown up. I mean, what's the last bad thing you can remember her doing?" Eric said.

"She killed Bart Bass" Jenny uttered under her breath unable to contain herself any longer. She didn't mean for the rest of them to hear her but unfortunately they did and they all gave her confused glances.

"What?" Serena finally asked the question that was on all their lips.

"She hired a hit man to crash into Bart Bass' limo. That's how he died. An investigator told me at your New Year party."

Serena, Dan and Eric looked at Jenny with appalled expressions. This was all so bleak and confusing.

"You've known this since New Year's and you never told me?" Eric finally said to hi wife.

"I didn't know how to tell you. It isn't really something you just blurt out" Jenny defended herself.

"Well, after this it is kind of" Dan said but no one listened to him. that was besides the point.

"Jenny, don't you realize just how dangerous this makes her at this point? And to think Chuck's having dinner at her house right now" Serena said.

"Not to mention the fact that our son is dating her daughter" Dan added.

"We have to go down there and tell Chuck" Eric said. Jenny looked reluctant but the other three gave her a look that told her it was the right thing to do.

"I guess this dinner's cut short then" Dan said and they all went to get their coats.

---

Georgina and Phoebe both laughed at the funny baby story Chuck had just told about Taylor, while Taylor blushed from beside her father.

Chuck and Georgina both sat with a glass of red wine in hand while the two teenage girls just had some soda. They had just finished dinner and moved into the living room to finish their drinks. The night had gone okay. They had talked about old times, the girls had somewhat become friends and everything seemed fine. It was the typical friendly dinner that they had all been to many times before.

Sometime in the night they heard a knock on the door. It was quite late for visitors so they were all slightly wondering who it was. Georgina clacked her heels to the door and opened it to see who their late night visit was.

Before her brain could process the image of who it was that was at the door Georgina got a cold hard slap right across her face.

"Serena, what the hell!" Chuck shouted at the raging blond. Serena ignored him. She just stared down at the brunette on the marble floor covering her face from anymore damage.

"You bitch!" Serena shouted to Georgina. "How dare you do that to Bart and then act like his friend, just because everyone else knows how fucked up you are so they don't trust you! Who could blame them?! You're shit Georgina so don't you dare start acting all innocent and changed because you're still the whoring coke head you were twenty-two years ago!"

Dan tired to pull his wife back but once Serena had gotten started she couldn't stop. She was absolutely furious. She cared about Chuck, she had grown to love him like he really was her brother. She remembered how sad Chuck was after Bart's death. She remembered how depressing the whole experience had been for all of them. Serena never really liked Bart but she would never wish death on him, or anyone for that matter. Anyone except for the blue eyed demon lying on the marble floor before her.

"Serena what is wrong with you?!" Chuck shouted walking over to Georgina's aid.

"Tell him Jenny. Tell him what the investigator told you" Serena said to her sister in-law. Jenny and Eric stepped out from behind the explosive, tall blond and looked at Chuck sympathetically. He helped Georgina back on her feet and turned to the two married couples to find out what was going on.

"At Serena and Dan's New Year party I was talking to this drunk investigator and he accidentally told me that he worked on a case about Bart Bass. He said that Bart Bass was actually murdered. Some one had hired a hit man to crash into the Bass limo and that some one was..." Jenny trailed off. She didn't have to finish herself. Everything made sense to Chuck. He turned his head to look at Georgina for confirmation. Georgina looked guiltily to the floor. A disgusted expression came to Chuck's face.

"You cruel, heartless bitch" He muttered to her. She winced at every insult. Chuck had been her first proper friend in a very long time and now her own stupid past had come back to bite her in the ass.

"Chuck you have to understand that I had reasons for doing it" Georgina begged.

"What possible reasons could you have for killing a man?!" Serena shouted while Dan tried to keep her from pounding the brunette yet again.

"I was pissed off to an extreme extent! I wanted revenge! I wanted to get Waldorf back for sending me to that hellhole of a school, I wanted to get you back for helping her and I wanted to get Serena and Dan back for ruining everything I worked so hard to accomplish. And I knew that getting rid of Bart Bass was the perfect way to do it and make it affect all of you!" Georgina shouted.

"Everything you worked so hard to accomplish?" Chuck said in a disgusted way. "What do you mean everything you tried so hard to accomplish? You didn't try to accomplish anything you tried to ruin Serena's life!"

Georgina looked at the Humphrey wife and the Bass man before her and wondered how it was that they had come to this. In the last few minutes she'd never seen to people who weren't even that close friends stick up for each other so nicely. Just the way Serena had done for Chuck and Chuck for Serena. Georgina realized that she wanted a friend. She'd lived her whole life alone without anyone in the world who would ever want to stick up for her like that. That's why she nearly screwed up Georgina's life over twenty years ago and that's why for the first time in her life she was truly sorry for everything she had done. She wanted Chuck to stick around. He had been the first person in a very long time to treat her like a normal human being instead of some monster. And now he could barely even look at her.

"I was lonely" Georgina whispered, her voice cracking half way. "I needed a friend. Some one to believe that I was more than just corruption and lies. I didn't want to ruin her life, I just wanted her to be a part of mine."

Georgina thought she saw a flicker of pity in Chuck's eyes but before she could double check, it was gone, that is if it was even there to begin with. She turned her head to see her daughter and Taylor both looking at her with appalled expressions. Phoebe walked slowly up to her mother, tears starting to form in her eyes.

"You killed a man?" Phoebe whispered hoping with all her heart that it wasn't true even though it pretty obvious by now that it was.

"Phoebe, you don't understand..." Georgina began but she was cut off by her daughter.

"You killed a man" Phoebe repeated. This time she was stating it to herself more than looking for confirmation.

"Phoebe please" Georgina begged but her daughter couldn't look at her. Her hazel eyes had tears pouring down them.

"Everything Jake had doubted about you was true!" She shouted angrily at her mother.

"You're a cold, selfish bitch and you deserve to be locked up in solitary for the rest of your life, because no human being on this planet deserves the punishment of knowing you!"

Phoebe ran out the door into the cold night air. If she stayed in that house any longer she would explode.

Georgina watched her daughter go tear almost coming to her own eyes. Georgina couldn't stand this. She could lose Chuck, that she could live with. But she needed Phoebe. She couldn't go on with life without the unconditional love. She brought her legs up and wrapped her arms around her knees like a frightened child in a haunted house. The others around her just pretended she wasn't there.

"Grab your coat Taylor, we're leaving" Chuck commanded his daughter. Once Taylor was ready they all left the house, leaving Georgina crouched on the cold marble floor, all alone. Just like she'd been her whole life. All alone in a huge expensive house that everyone knew she didn't deserve.

---

Phoebe knocked on Jake's blue bedroom door. The Humphrey maid told her that he was in his room so Phoebe just ran up their with no hesitation. When Jake opened the door he gasped a little at the sight of his girlfriend. Her hair was affray, her mascara was running long streaks of tears down her face, her clothes were ruffled and messed up. She looked like she'd been running. Jake had no idea how to react to this sight. He'd never seen Phoebe so messed up in her life.

They both stood there staring at each other for a while, then out of nowhere Phoebe threw her arms around him and hugged him tightly. He could feel her warm tears on his shoulder. He wanted to know what was wrong. He wanted to know who it was that hurt her this way and he wanted to kick their asses. He never wanted to let her go. In the state she was in he had a feeling it wouldn't be safe if he did anyway.

"Shh" he whispered soothingly into her ear. It seemed to calm her a little.

"What happened? What's wrong" he asked her quietly. She gave a little sigh and looked into his eyes. He looked like a dream, or an idea of perfection in her imagination. He had most of his mother's angelic features so it was impossible for her to not to get lost in him. She knew that if she told him the truth he wouldn't want her anymore. He'd be too disgusted, after all, who wouldn't be. For a second she considered not telling him, but even if she didn't Serena or Dan would. And even if they didn't it's not like she could lie to him, she loved him too much.

"My mother killed a man to get revenge on the people who had foiled her schemes" Phoebe told him quietly not looking at him. She was too afraid of what his reaction might be.

Jake didn't speak he just stood there with a shocked expression.

"Please say something" Phoebe begged. The silence was louder than any words he could have spoken.

"Leave" he whispered hesitantly. The tears returned to her eyes.

"Jake please, you know I'm not like her. I would never kill anyone" Phoebe said.

"You wouldn't but she did, I can't live with that so please just go" Jake whispered. Phoebe sighed and let a few tears roll down her face. She didn't beg any further. She knew it was a lost cause. So she turned around and left. She walked slowly down the stairs. She walked past a confused Dan and Serena but she didn't acknowledge their presence, she just kept on walking. Now she really and truly was alone in the world. Jake didn't want her, just like everyone else and she couldn't bare to forgive her mother. She was all on her own, just the outcome she had expected.

---

_What did you think? Do you feel sorry for Georgie or not?_

_Personally I'll always feel a little bit sorry for Georgie, after all there must be something that made her what she is today. And Chuck was her first proper friend in a long time and now he's gone so I feel sorry for her for that.  
_

_And also poor Phoebe. I'm afraid to say that her life only goes downhill from here but she does make a friend so that's good._

_-Marina_

_In The Next Chapter: A suicide attempt, a rape attempt and a father/son showdown.  
_


	11. Attempts Of Darkness

_I'm sorry this took so long, but then again this always takes long so you can't really say your surprised._

_This chapter is dark. It involves an attempted rape, and attempted suicide, quite a bit of language and violence so if you don't like any of that I suggest you don't read._

_For those of you who do read._

_Enjoy!_

_P.S. As usual I was too lazy to proofread so excuse any mistakes and stuff.  
_

---

**Chapter Eleven - Attempts Of Darkness**

Henry Burke stood across the road from St Judes. He was watching Taylor bid a due to her boyfriend. This was a little ritual of theirs. Henry knew because he'd been watching both of them closely for the past week. Every time he watched them he noticed familiar things about Joyce. He was almost certain he'd seen him before except Henry had no clue where exactly. He figured he might have mugged him before since Henry had mugged a lot of kids but he was certain that he would of remembered that. So Henry just shrugged off the familiarity and continued studying the Bass girl's pattern.

As she began to walk around the corner to the Constance he followed. He walked on the other side of the road a few meters back from where she would be if she was on his side of the street. It was a simple process of following, and it worked every time. Although this time Henry had done something wrong. He wouldn't have realized it if it wasn't for Daphne at the doors of Constance staring right at him with a furious expression. He wasn't quite sure why she was angry until she started shooing him away. Why was she shooing him? Didn't she want him to hurt Taylor.

Henry heard his phone bleep from his pocket. He pulled it out to see he had received a message from Daphne.

**Get out of here!**

**Meet me after school in the park.**

**I'll explain later.**

**D**

Henry looked at her with a confused expression. Was she going back on their deal?

He couldn't' have that. He needed the money. He was in deep debt with his dealer so the sooner the better.

Henry made a mental decision that if Daphne didn't pay he'd get it out of her. She may be fiery but deep down she was still just a little Upper East Side princess and getting money from her would involve minimal force.

---

As Phoebe Sparks walked the halls of Constance something felt different. It was true that a lot of things were indeed different, but she felt the difference this time, and it was a big one. It wasn't just the fact that her boyfriend wasn't walking her to her locker, or the fact that she hadn't spoken to her mother in exactly three days and counting. It was the simple yet depressing truth that Phoebe Sparks was now completely alone in this cold cruel world. It hadn't taken long before all of Jake's friends found out about her mother's cruel ways and shut her out. And of course all of Jake's friends knew her friends so those bitches ditched her too. Phoebe didn't even get a chance to explain herself, before she knew it everyone was gone. No one wanted to be around her, honestly she couldn't blame them. She despised her mother. She couldn't bring herself to even look at the woman in the mornings.

So today when Phoebe Sparks walked the halls of Constance Something did feel really different. It felt different because Phoebe realized just how lonesome life on the Upper East Side can be. It was a dark and scary thought and she hated thinking like that. But there was nothing to stop her. After all, when you don't have anyone who's gonna save you from yourself?

---

Henry sat on the cold, wooden bench in Central Park. He was hungry and the little red-headed brat was late. He looked to his right and saw two freshmen from Constance. They were both giggling wildly at something. _Must be a private joke_ Henry thought to himself, those always seem to crack best friends up. He looked the other way to see Daphne walking perfectly poised in his direction. Her face was neutral and unreadable.

"What?" Henry asked when she sat herself beside him.

"You bug me" Daphne stated.

"Is this conversation important or can I go get lunch?" Henry asked urging her to get to the point.

"You're sloppy. Wanna know why? Every morning this week I can see you watching her" Daphne said.

"It's just research, besides she hasn't noticed" Henry said.

"It's only a matter of time before she does" Daphne said. "I think the sooner you get rid of her the better. Your starting to make me doubt whether or not you're really gonna go through with this."

"I'm gonna do it" Henry insisted.

"Well you haven't made much progress apart from the not-so-subtle stalking" Daphne shot at him.

"I'll do it tonight" Henry said without thinking. It wasn't a stupid thing to say, he could do it. But it would be sloppy.

"Like I said, the sooner the better" Daphne said to him. She stood up and started to stroll away. Henry listened to the clacking of her heels get quieter with every step she took. He was deep in thought about how he was gonna do this. Then he decided to do it in the most effective and traumatizing way. The same way he had done to that socialite years ago. He didn't quite remember the girl's name though. He knew it was Poppy something. Not that it mattered. It's not like Poppy and Taylor had some sort of mutual connection or anything.

---

Taylor Bass sat with her legs crossed on the Humphrey couch. She was reading one of Serena's fashion magazines. Her head was resting on Joyce's lap. He just stared down at her. He couldn't help but think she was the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen. Every little detail about her had him mesmerized. Just the way she pouted slightly when she concentrated hard on something, and she didn't even realize it. The way her eyes were almost the same color as coffee in the dark but in the daylight they were a very milky chocolate color. The way she looked exactly like her mother but when she smirked she was almost a reincarnation of Chuck Bass. Joyce couldn't think of anything that bothered him about her. She was pure perfection, even in her imperfections. She made him feel happy just by thinking about her. Joyce knew that you didn't come across people like that often so he soaked in every second he spent with her. He knew that these would be the greatest memories of his life.

"Why do you look at me like that?" Taylor said breaking his train of thought.

"Like what" Joyce asked.

"Like that" Taylor said unable to specify his stare. Joyce shrugged.

"You're fun to look at" he admitted. Taylor gave a shy, flattered smile.

"How am I fun to look at?" She asked, milking the compliments for all they were worth. Joyce knew what she was doing. The Bass girl loved the attention, it didn't take a rocket scientist to figure that one out. So instead of answering her question and giving her what she wanted, Joyce did something even better. He leaned over and kissed her forehead in the most loving way possible. Taylor knew right then and there just how much she meant to him. It gave her a nice feeling inside. Like butterflies. She knew butterflies were childish but she also knew it wasn't very common that you got them. It only happened when you were sick or when you found some one _really_ special, and Taylor knew she was one hundred per cent healthy.

Right then she couldn't help but think about how her father had described butterflies to her. He had told her about how he got them every time he saw Blair. And every time he thought about her, and every time anyone even mentioned her. There was no getting rid of them, they were always there. Taylor had a feeling that they'd never left.

When her father first told her about the butterflies she thought it was corny and didn't understand how some one like him could feel something like that. But now, lying here knowing that Joyce was staring down at her with much love in his heart, Taylor understood everything perfectly.

She was in love with him and he was in love with her. Neither of them needed to say it, it was just there. And it was the most amazing thing either of them had ever felt.

"Taylor your dad called. He says you have to go home now and that you should charge your phone every once in a while so he doesn't have to call me" Serena said as she entered the room. Taylor sat up and placed the magazine on the coffee table.

"Alright I'm leaving" Taylor said getting up and grabbing her coat from an armchair beside her.

"Oh and he didn't send the limo as punishment" Serena added as Taylor belted her coat up. She sighed. Her dad could be so damn stubborn sometimes, if he wasn't so easygoing most of the time Taylor was sure that he'd drive her insane.

"Bye Mrs Humphrey" Taylor said to the tall blond actress despite the many times that she had insisted Taylor to call her Serena. Taylor just didn't like calling parents by their first names. It felt rude. And calling adults by their first name wasn't how she was brought up.

Taylor turned to her boyfriend and gave him a long passionate kiss that didn't stop even after Serena cleared her throat loudly to remind them of her presence. When they eventually broke apart they stared into each others eyes. Taylor's coffee, brown ones and Joyce's sky blue ones. Taylor ended up giggling, Joyce made her giddy like that.

She bid her farewells to Serena again and left the house. Joyce watched her walk away. Analyzing every single step she took. The sound her heels made when they clacked off the marble floor. The way her hips swayed in a feminine fashion. Joyce didn't know what he'd be doing right now if he'd never met her bu he knew it wouldn't be half as enjoyable.

---

Henry watched Taylor leaving the Humphrey house. She'd been there for hours and he wasn't necessarily the most patient person in the world but he knew that waiting would pay off. So he followed her down the street. Once she turned a corner he crossed the street so that now he was only a few meters behind her. He watched her chestnut curls cascading down her back and bobbing with every elegant step she took. Henry could understand why Daphne was jealous, the girl was like a human porcelain doll only without the scary eyes.

Henry power-walked a bit so he could get closer to her. Eventually she started walking down a dark lane way. Silly girl, dark lanes are dangerous at night. He figured it must be some shortcut to the her home, and she probably thought she could take care of herself.

Henry started walking a little faster so he could catch up to her. He managed to make his steps quick but quiet so she had no idea he was there. Henry waited a few seconds and then he took his chance. He grabbed her. One hand covering her mouth the other pulling her back by the stomach. He pulled her with great strength and pressed her up against a wall. He could see the terror in her eyes although he didn't look directly at her because he didn't want her to know exactly what he looked like. He heard muffled attempt of scream coming from under his palm. It tickled his hand a little. This only made him smile menacingly at her. She brought her hands up to his and tried to pull them off but he was too strong for her. He started pulling at the zip at the side of her skirt. It was hard to do with one hand and the fact that the zip was on his right and he was using his left hand made the process even more difficult. He kept trying to pull it down but he just couldn't get it unless he switched hands and he wasn't going to risk her escaping. In the midst of all that fuss he felt something warm but wet on the side of his hand. He realized the girl was crying. He glanced up at her and realized just how terrified she was. Getting rid of her was gonna be easier than he thought. He could feel her shaking with fear. Then he couldn't help himself, he wanted to see her terror. He wanted to feel the adrenaline rush of seeing her fear. So he looked up deep into her brown eyes.

Taylor saw something familiar in his eyes. She could remember their sky blue color from anywhere. They were the exact image of Joyce. Taylor was sure of it. She dreamt of those eyes, there was no way she was wrong. And then a frightening thought hit her. Was this man Joyce's father? He could be. Maybe the guy remained a rapist all these years. The thought made Taylor even more scared. The she realized something. She could get free. So while he was too busy trying to tug her skirt off she kneed him right in the genitals as hard as she could. He immediately let go. Both his hands went straight for his now painful balls. He let a moan of pain slip out.

Still overwhelmed by the whole situation Taylor didn't move. She was panting heavily in fear. Then she did the only thing she could think of.

"Henry Burke?" She whispered.

The rapist looked up with those sky blue eyes Taylor loved but were now haunting and sinister. She had no clue what to do next so Taylor ran back to the Humphrey house.

---

Phoebe looked at her watch. It was already eight thirty. She'd spent practically the whole day in the school library. She couldn't stand to go home and it wasn't like she had any other friends houses that she could go to, so she stayed in the library studying all day. She figured now was time for her to leave. This way she could grab some food and hide in her room for the rest of the night.

As Phoebe walked down the halls she couldn't help but think that this was it. This was what the rest of her high school years were going to be like. She wasn't going to make any new friends with the history her mother had. She had nothing left and she couldn't stand it. She hated her life, her family. She hated herself. She had nothing left in this world, nothing made her happy anymore so she made up her mind about something. If no one would miss her if she was gone then what was the point of staying in the first place? So Phoebe made a decision she never thought she'd ever make. She decided if there was no point in her staying, then she wouldn't bother any longer. So instead of heading to the doors she made a detour to the nearest bathroom. She popped open a little orange pot of pills her mother had given her in case she ever felt sick in school. And one by one she swallowed every last white tablet. Then she sat herself down, her back leaning on the cold walls. And she waited for the pills to do something to her. She just hoped to God that it would work 'cause she couldn't stand another day stuck in this hellhole called her life.

---

Joyce heard a loud incessant knocking coming from the front door. He figured some one else in the family would answer it but no one came rushing down so he got up and walked over to the door casually despite the urgency of the knocks. When he opened the door his girlfriend launched herself on him and hugged him so tightly that he could barely breathe.

"What's going on are you okay?" He managed to get her to let go. He cupped her face with his hands. Her make up was running as if she had been crying. Then suddenly a feeling took over him and all he wanted to do was find whatever made her cry and destroy it. He tried to raise her face so that she'd look at him but she couldn't do it. Every time he tried her eyes moved to anywhere but his eyes.

"What happened? Tell me" Joyce insisted with a comforting voice. He walked her over to the couch and let her calm down. She still didn't look him in the eye. He held her hand and rubbed it lightly and soothingly with his thumb. When he felt her breathing get steady again he asked on more time what happened.

Taylor told him everything from the moment she left the Humphreys to the moment she came back. She told him everything in the most detail possible. Throughout the whole conversation she never looked at him.

Once she was finished Joyce could understand why she couldn't look at him. It was the eyes. The eyes that she was once so in love with now terrified him because of that sick bastard.

"How long did it take for you to get from there to here?" Joyce asked keeping his voice neutral. He didn't want her to know what was going through his head. She didn't answer.

"How long Taylor?" He asked again.

"About ten minutes. But he's probably gone. Don't bother going after him" Taylor insisted. She finally looked at him with a pleading expression but it wasn't enough. Joyce was furious. It was enough that that man was the reason his mother lived such a traumatized life but now he tried to do it to his girlfriend too. Joyce couldn't stop himself. He didn't even grab his coat he just walked right out the door. Not even closing it. He left Taylor the choice to follow or to get help. But she didn't know what to do. So she called the only person she knew wouldn't call the cops and stop Joyce form getting his vengeance. She called Daphne.

---

Daphne entered the Humphrey house and saw Taylor pacing back and forth in the Humphrey living room. She was surprised that Serena hadn't found her yet.

"Where's Joyce?" Daphne asked. Taylor turned to look at the red-headed devil before her.

"He went after him" Taylor said.

"After who?" Daphne asked, confused by Taylor's simple answers.

"Henry Burke" Taylor answered.

"What?!" Daphne exclaimed loudly. "He wasn't supposed to do that. Henry was supposed to go after you and Joyce was supposed to forget about you and go back to me!"

"What?" Taylor asked confused by Daphne's random crazy talk.

"I paid him to get you" Daphne admitted without thinking.

"What?!" Taylor shouted. "You paid Joyce's rapist father to go after me!"

"What do you mean Joyce's rapist father?" Daphne asked realizing she was missing a piece of the puzzle.

"Henry is Joyce's father and now Joyce went out to find him and kill him in a blinding rage!" Taylor shouted at the scheming girl in front of her. Realization dawned on Daphne and she realized exactly what she had just done.

"Oh my God" She whispered to herself in shock.

"We have to go find him" Taylor said revealing the purpose of her phone call.

"Have you tried calling him?" Daphne asked putting her hatred for the Bass aside.

"He didn't pick up" Taylor said. "Look if you were working with Henry then do you know where he lives?"

Daphne nodded.

"Let's go" Taylor said grabbing the arm of the red head and pulling her out to get a cab with no hesitation.

---

Louise Van Der Woodsen walked cautiously down the halls of Constance. She had forgotten some books for her homework and luckily enough the doors were still open. She didn't know why they kept the school open this late, it was basically like an advertisement for burglers. She went to her locker and got the books she needed. She turned to walk back to the door and leave but she really needed to use the bathroom. It was a sudden need but she had to either way so she ran to the nearest one. She pushed the door open and ran straight into the first cubicle. When she was done she walked out and saw some freshmen girl lying on the floor pale and unconscious. She recognized the girl. She'd seen her before at a family party.

She could remember clearly actually. She was her cousin, Jake's girlfriend. Phoebe or something. Louise knelt down to see if Phoebe was breathing or if she was dead or something. She could see the young girl's chest rising and falling really quickly in an unsteady manner. Then she saw a little orange tube with a white lid beside Phoebe's un-moving body. Louise suddenly understood what was going on. She quickly took out her cellphone and dialed _911_.

When some relaxed lady answered Louise ordered an ambulance quickly trying not to panic but she couldn't help herself. He cousin's girlfriend was on the verge of dying and she couldn't do anything to save her except call an ambulance. Once she'd given the school's address and hung up she tried to remember what the recovery position was. She had taken a first aid class in seventh grade, now she was desperately wishing she could have listened better so that it Phoebe started seizing or something she'd know what to do.

So she just sat herself beside the fifteen year old girl and waited nervously for an ambulance to come soon.

---

Joyce watched Henry enter his shabby, cheap apartment that obviously had rent overdue. He could tell just by the look of it.

Joyce had rushed back to the lane Taylor was talking about and just as he had hoped he found a man to Henry's description nearby. So he followed Henry home and thought about his attack plan. He wasn't quite sure what he was gonna do to him but he knew for a fact that if no one stopped him, he'd probably end up killing the bastard.

He went up to the doors of the building. Henry had idiotically left the front door open so Joyce just walked in. He saw what number the name Burke lived in and he went up two floors to the right apartment.

He knocked loudly on the door but held back a little, trying to save his angry strength for Henry's face. Two or three seconds later Henry opened the door and was greeted by a hard box in the face from his long lost son. Henry stepped back on impact, practically letting Joyce enter his home. Joyce punched him again and again. He didn't stop even when his fists were bleeding. He needed to do this. All the hatred he had for Henry that had built up over the years. It was all finally coming out, and he couldn't stop.

Eventually Henry fell to the floor unable to stop Joyce. Joyce knelt down and kept using Henry as a punchbag until Henry finally shouted between punches.

"WHO...THE...FUCK...ARE...YOU?!"

This made Joyce stop. He looked down at his father. The two sets of blue eyes practically a reflection of each other.

"I'M YOU FREAKING SON! I'M THE GUY WHOSE GIRLFRIEND YOU TRIED TO RAPE TODAY YOU SICK SON OF A BITCH!" Joyce shouted furiously. He was _so_ angry. He couldn't contain himself any longer, so he started punching again. Only this time Henry fought back. The two men wrestled each other around the room violently. They were both so deep in their fight that they didn't notice Taylor and Daphne enter through the wide oped door. The two girls gave each other knowing glances. Daphne took out her cell and called 911 while Taylor grabbed a vodka bottle from a table nearby and smashed it off of Henry's head, knocking the man out cold.

Joyce fell backwards after that. His nose was bleeding and every time he tried to sit up he moaned loudly in pain.

Taylor knelt down beside him and hugged him tightly while Daphne screamed nervously to the woman on the other end of the line. Joyce grabbed his sides in pain and Taylor pet them softly with her perfectly manicured hands. Her touch was soothing to Joyce. She lifted up his shirt to see what was wrong and they both saw that his sides were purple almost as if they were horribly bruised. It had only been a somewhat small fight so she didn't understand why it was that bad but neither of them spoke about it. She just kept touching him soothingly and he just sat there and let her.

Once Daphne was off the phone she looked at the two and realized that they really _really_ loved each other, and no matter what she through at them Joyce would never want her like he did Taylor. She realized the stupidity of what she had paid Henry to do. All of a sudden she felt the guilt creeping up from inside her. Daphne realized just how psycho she really was. She needed help, but she wasn't gonna admit that.

---

_Yikes! Told you it was dark._

_I have to admit, when I was writing the almost rape part my heart was racing so it goes to show that it's as exciting for the writer as it is for the reader._

_Taylor and Joyce are in love. Ah bless._

_Daphne realized she's psychopathic._

_Phoebe's had enough and Louise found her just in time to give her a friend._

_I'm sad to say this story is nearly at it's end. How sad! It's been fun writing for you though.  
_

_-Marina_

_In The Next Chapter: Three people recovering in the hospital, but one doesn't make it. :( But just to lighten things a little...CB! :D  
_


	12. I'm Chuck Bass

_Last chapter. Very sad :( It's been fun writing for you guys!_

_Enjoy!  
_

---

**Chapter Twelve - I'm Chuck Bass**

Chuck leaned back on his chair. He was very tired. He'd been dealing with paperwork all day that before he knew it the day was gone and it half ten in the night. then a thought struck him. Where in the world was his daughter?

He hadn't heard her come home but he could very well remember Serena telling him she left on the phone. He got up from his seat and walked out of his office into the rest of the house. It was strange how the office was a room in the Bass penthouse yet it felt like a completely different place.

"Taylor?" Chuck called out to make sure he didn't miss his daughter. When no answer cam Chuck took out his cellphone and texted his once step-sister. A few minutes later he got a reply telling him just what he had thought...Taylor had gone home. At this point Chuck had started getting worried. Maybe he should have sent her the limo anyway. Chuck was beginning to panic. He didn't know what to do. His daughter supposedly left the Humphreys two hours ago and hadn't come home since. So then Chuck called the only person he could think might know where she is. He called Blair.

"Yes Chuck?" Blair said as soon as she answered the phone.

"Is Taylor with you?" He asked.

"No, why?" Blair asked.

"Crap" Chuck muttered to himself.

"Chuck, what's going on?" Blair asked.

"Nothing, forget I called" Chuck said. He knew that if Blair found out what had happened then he'd be a dead man walking.

"Chuck, tell me what's wrong" Blair demanded in a warning tone.

"Taylor hasn't been home in two hours and I kind of have no idea where she is" Chuck mumbled quietly hoping that Blair wouldn't understand him.

"You're kidding me!" Blair said desperately hoping that he was. Chuck didn't answer.

"You lost our daughter?!" Blair shouted angrily. Chuck couldn't see her but he could feel her anger. Even when she was on the other side of the phone line Chuck feared for his health.

"Don't move. I'm coming down there now!" Blair said and before Chuck could convince her otherwise she hung up the phone.

---

Taylor and Daphne sat silently in the waiting room of the hospital. The doctors had taken Joyce in about an hour ago and the two girls hadn't spoken a word since he'd left. Taylor was drumming her nails nervously on the arm of the chair. It irritated Daphne but after what she had done to her she didn't think asking her to stop would be in any way fair. Daphne hated hospitals. She hated the way they smelled clean all the time, and the way everywhere you went you could always hear beeping noises and doctors mumbling things to each other. It drove her insane.

Taylor on the other hand was used to it all. Back in California she was a bit of a wild child. She'd drink way to much and then do something really stupid that would put her in hospital. Once when she was fifteen she got drunk at a house party and jumped off the roof of her friend's house onto a trampoline. Yes she broke her leg but it was fun so it made it worth it. Taylor was just surprised that Chuck let her go to other house parties after that. The trampoline incident was just one of many trips she'd made to the hospital while drunk.

"I'm sorry" Daphne muttered to Taylor. Taylor wasn't sure what to say. She was angry but she pitied Daphne for wanting some one so much that it practically drove her insane.

"I'm sorry I stole your life" Taylor said. It sounded like something stupid to say but both girls understood.

"I'm sure you didn't mean to" Daphne said. She never understood that but now she was grateful that she did. Now she and Taylor had a proper chance of being friends, minus the crazy jealousy.

Then the silence took over the two teenage girls again. They just sat there watching doctors running back and forth with their many emergencies. All of a sudden two doctors trudged into the room pushing a young girl on a gurney making both Daphne and Taylor jump in surprise. They at the girl lying unconscious on the gurney and thought they recognized her.

"Does she go to our school?" Daphne asked. Taylor didn't answer she studied the image of the girl being pushed away by distressed doctors and realized it was that evil little freshmen Phoebe Sparks. Minutes after the gurney had gone out of sight the two girls saw Louise Van Der Woodsen run in through the same doors. They assumed she must know what happened to Phoebe so the two girls gave her a questioning look.

"She took a bunch of pills. I found her in the bathroom" Louise explained to them. Taylor realized how much she pitied the little Sparks girl. Her mother may have been evil but now she realized that Phoebe wasn't necessarily the same. The poor girl must feel so alone.

Taylor offered Louise a seat beside her so that Louise could wait for poor little Phoebe. If the girl was alone it would be nice to wake up to at least one friend.

---

Blair practically punched the button for the elevator. From the time it took for her to leave her house and get down here her anger had turned to rage. She was going to murder Chuck. How could he lose his daughter. What stupid father let his seventeen year old girl walk home at night in New York City?

The elevator seemed to be going slower than usual just for Blair so she decided to just screw that idea and take the stairs. She ran up skipping every second step despite the fact that she was wearing six-inch heels and if she fell she would most likely break her neck. She eventually got to the last floor. She hammered the door of the Bass penthouse with all her strength. Chuck opened the door and Blair swung a fist at him. Fortunately for him he knew Blair better than anyone and took a step back on instinct so she ended up punching the air. Of course this only frustrated her even more causing her to start whacking Chuck with her handbag.

"You idiot!" She shouted as she hit his head with the designer leather bag. Chuck somehow managed to grab the bag and take it off of her but this only made her. She stopped hitting him but she did give him one final full-force slap on the back of his head.

"What in the world is wrong with you?!" Blair shouted at her former love.

"A lot of things now can you please calm down. We're not gonna find Taylor this way" He said to the furious woman before him. Blair crossed her arm in frustration causing Chuck to flinch because he thought she was gonna hit him again.

"Alright" Blair said a little more calm, "now what exactly happened?"

Chuck told her everything from the moment he called Serena to the moment Blair hung up the phone.

"Did you try calling Joyce?" Blair asked. Chuck nodded. Blair buried her face in her hands. She had no idea what to do now. Neither of them had any idea where she might be. So Blair said the only thing that was going through her head.

"You're an idiot."

"I know" Chuck said.

"I'm scared Chuck" Blair mumbled.

"Me too" Chuck said. Blair didn't know why but the mere fact that Chuck was as scared as her, maybe even more, it calmed her a bit. It reassured her that she wasn't alone. So she put her hand over the Bass man's one and shared a loving and frustrated look with him.

"We're gonna find her" he said.

"How?" Blair asked. She had a feeling that Chuck didn't know how to answer that but she asked him anyway. She needed the reassurance.

"I'm Chuck Bass. I'll find a way" Chuck said with a small smirk. Blair smiled, even in the worst possible situations that man could always make her smile.

---

The doctor walked over to the three girls. She had a clipboard in her hands. Her nails were short and simple and her hair was up in a slightly messy bun. Daphne knew at the sight of her that she never wanted to be a doctor. It was obviously not the job for any self-respecting Upper East Sider.

"Which one of you is here with Phoebe Sparks?" The doctor asked.

"I am" Louise answered.

"Do you know Phoebe's parents' phone number or maybe a guardian or something?" The doctor asked. Louise shook her head. All she knew about Phoebe was her name and that she used to date her cousin, and Taylor was the one who told her that they broke up.

"Alright" the doctor said unsatisfied. "You may see her then."

Louise got up and followed the doctor to the room where Phoebe was staying. She looked pale and tired and according to the doctor she had just gotten her stomach pumped. She was awake but on the verge of sleep.

"Hey" Louise said and she pulled a chair over to the side of the bed. She didn't know what she was going to say to Phoebe since she didn't really know her but she figured she'd think of something.

"Why did you save me?" Phoebe asked. It was a strange question, and she didn't sound very thankful so Louise said the only thing she could think of.

"It's just what you do."

"Thanks but I didn't want saving, it's not like I have anything left to live for. I have no friends, no boyfriend and my mom is a murderer" Phoebe said more to herself than to Louise.

"It gets better you know, life does" Louise said to Phoebe.

"But no one wants anything to do with me" Phoebe said.

"No one wants anything to do with me either, they all think my dad's gay" Louise said.

"That was you?" Phoebe asked. Louise nodded.

"At least you have good parents" Phoebe said. Her mother could never make up for what she had done so Phoebe didn't know what she'd do for the parental part of her life.

"It will get better" Louise insisted, "plus you have a friend now."

"Who?" Phoebe asked almost laughing at the stupidity of the idea. Louise smiled at the hopeless girl.

"Me."

Phoebe smiled at her.

"Well I suppose that's an improvement to whatever I have now" Phoebe said. Louise smiled to the young girl. This was the beginning of a beautiful friendship.

---

Blair watched Chuck at work. He'd been making hone calls one after the other. Too be honest Blair didn't know why she was even there. It's not like she was doing any work and she knew Chuck would be just fine without the moral support. But she didn't want to leave. She'd freak out if she went back home, somehow Chuck was keeping her calm.

Chuck hung up the phone.

"Well?" Blair asked.

"Let's call Serena again" he said dialing Serena's number quickly in frustration.

"It's gonna be alright Chuck. We're gonna find her. Taylor's a smart girl, she's got your wit. She can get herself out of anything" Blair said. This seemed to calm him a little. He pressed the call number and waited for Serena to pick up.

"Yes?" Serena said answering the phone.

"Are you sure she went home?" Chuck asked.

"Yes I'm positive. I watched her make out with my son then walk out" Serena said. Chuck sighed.

"What's wrong Chuck?" asked noticing the panic in his voice.

"Taylor's..." He began but he couldn't finish. Instead he put a hand to his heart. His face changed from a worried expression to a pained one. He looked like somebody had just stabbed him.

"Chuck?" Blair and Serena said simultaneously. Serena from the other end of the phone while Blair from right beside Chuck. Chuck didn't answer either of them. He just fell to the floor in pain.

"Hello?" Serena said while Blair knelt down beside Chuck. She picked up his phone.

"S we don't know where Taylor is. Something's wrong with Chuck, I'm taking him to the hospital."

Before Serena could say anything the Blair had hung up the phone and dialed 911.

---

Taylor and Daphne walked to Joyce's room. Taylor went right to his bedside while Daphne just stood in the doorway. Taylor put her hand over his and kissed it sweetly. Daphne just stood back and watched. She couldn't help but get the feeling that she shouldn't be there. Or at least that she didn't deserve to be there. Joyce smiled down at his girlfriend.

"I'm not dead you know, I just have one or two broken ribs" he said.

"I can't believe you went after him, you idiot" Taylor said. Joyce chuckled at her but stopped abruptly 'cause of the pain. Taylor looked at him worriedly but he gave her a reassuring smile.

"I love you" she said, before he could say anything back she kissed him. It was long and passionate but full of love. After about a minute of that Taylor finally pulled away and smiled at him.

"You too" he said and Taylor leaned in and kissed him again. This time Joyce sat up and brought both his hand to her messy chestnut curls. He didn't care if his sides were burning with pain. For all he cared he could be wearing a full body cast, it wouldn't stop him. Taylor made the pain go away. As Daphne watched the couple she felt like more of a third wheel then she ever had. She knew those two were perfect for each other so she knew that she shouldn't bother meddling him them but even still she was still slightly jealous. She wanted love like that. She'd been throwing herself at Joyce for years, giving him everything and yet here he was, hopelessly in love with the new girl.

---

Blair sat herself beside Chuck's hospital bed. She was extremely worried, about Chuck and Taylor. The only problem was Chuck wasn't calming her down this time.

"He's dying" the doctor told Blair, although Blair already knew that. "From what our tests say he's been in pain for the last few days, but I'm guessing he didn't say anything." Blair nodded at the doctor's assumption.

"He has about an hour left. I think it's time you said your goodbyes Mrs Bass" The doctor told her. Blair didn't bother correcting his mistake. She just turned to look at Chuck. He looked weak and pale but he still looked like a man of power. He was still as handsome as before. Blair sighed.

"Can I have a moment alone with him?" She asked quietly. She felt so small. The doctor simply nodded and walked out of the room.

Blair ran her hand down his face soothingly.

"I love you" she whispered.

"Save it, I'm not dead yet" Chuck mumbled. He opened one eye to see her reaction. She just smiled sweetly.

"I don't care. I want you to know it when you're alive" She said.

"I do" he said to her, "And I hope you know I love you too."

Blair leaned over and brushed her lips over his lightly. It wasn't one of those usual passionate kisses that they usually had. It was simple, and it said everything they needed to say.

"We need to find Taylor" Chuck said. This wiped the smile off of Blair's face.

"And we will" She said. She held his hand tightly and looked into his dark eyes.

"Nate's gonna be pissed" Chuck said trying to get rid of the awkward silence. Blair laughed lightly. She didn't care about Nate anymore. She could last with or without him. Chuck smirked up at her with his signature smirk. Before Blair knew it tears were pouring down her eyes. This made Chuck slightly uncomfortable, he was never good with tears. Blair knew this so she tried to stop but she just couldn't. The love of her life was dying and all she could think about was the fact that they'd never gotten a proper chance to be a family.

"Blair, it's gonna be okay" he said to her but the fact that he said her name just made her cry even more.

"I can't believe it's over, for real this time" she cried to him.

"It's not over. You can't give up. In the face of true love you don't just give up" he said repeating the very words he used many years before to win her back. This did indeed help. Blair stopped crying as much. She just looked at him and smiled.

"Even if the object of your affection is begging you to" she finished for him. He smiled back at her.

"Besides I'm the one that's dying not you" he said to her. She gave out a small laugh.

"Don't ruin the moment" she said.

"I can't help it" he said. "I'm Chuck Bass."

Then he gave her his smirk once again and Blair kissed him on instinct.

---

"I suppose some one should call my parents" Joyce said to the two girls.

"I'll do it" Taylor said. She got up and walked to the doorway where Daphne had been standing.

"Can I use your phone?" she asked. Daphne handed the pink cellphone to her.

"Why don't I call? It'll be awkward if you leave us alone" Daphne said.

"Take it as your chance to apologize" Taylor said and walked out. She dialed the Humphrey house number. When Serena picked up she told her everything that had happened.

"Oh my God, is he okay?" Serena asked with a panicked tone.

"He's fine, he just has some broken ribs" Taylor said.

"Thanks for calling Taylor. Have you run into your parents yet?" Serena asked.

"What do you mean?" Taylor asked.

"Something's wrong with your dad so Blair brought him to the hospital. Neither of them have nay idea where you are. They're worried sick" Serena told Taylor. Taylor didn't care about the second part. All that was going through her mind was that her father was in hospital. She hung up on Serena and dialed Blair's number as quickly as she could.

"Hello?" Blair answered.

"What room are you two in?" Taylor asked straight away.

"Taylor?" Blair asked. Taylor could hear the relief in her voice.

"What room?" Taylor asked again but more forcefully.

"_429_" Blair answered. Taylor hung up the phone immediately and went off to find the right room.

She found it easily seeing as it was on the same floor as Joyce's.

"Taylor!" Blair exclaimed when she saw her daughter. She stood up and hugged Taylor tightly. "We were so worried!"

Taylor ignored her mother's words. Instead when her mother was done hugging her she pushed past to her father.

"What's wrong?" She asked. The panic painted perfectly on her face.

"I'm just gonna leave" Blair said and she walked out of the room leaving the two Basses with some privacy.

"I'm dying Tay" Chuck said to his daughter.

"Why? What happened?" Taylor said. She was too confused to let the words register properly.

"Nothing happened. There's just something wrong with my heart. I've been dying for months, this is more of the climax" Chuck told his daughter the truth.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Taylor asked.

"I didn't want to do that to you" Chuck answered.

"So why bother telling me now?" Taylor said. Chuck laughed lightly at his daughter's distress. She was so much like Blair it was unbelievable.

"It's not funny!" Taylor exclaimed but she was laughing a little too. She didn't know why, but she couldn't help it.

"I love you sweetheart" Chuck said.

"Ditto" Taylor said to her father making him laugh lightly again. But somewhere in between his laugh turned to a cough and made Taylor's smile fade.

"Dad?" Taylor asked, her heart started racing with fear now. Chuck wanted to answer her. To reassure her that he was fine but he couldn't. The pain in his heart was too immense and he couldn't get a word out between the coughs. He didn't want to do this to Taylor, he didn't want her to be afraid but he couldn't stop. He could feel his throat closing up until eventually he couldn't breathe. So instead of battling for a lost cause he just lay back and let his disease get the best of him. He closed his eyes and let himself stop breathing. And so it was that Chuck Bass was dead.

"Dad?" Taylor repeated. She wasn't going to give up. Life wasn't done with her father even if he was done with life.

"Dad!" She shouted. The tears started pouring down her eyes. Blair heard her shouts from outside 'cause she ran right in and once she caught sight of what had happened she started crying too.

"DAD!" Taylor kept repeating. She just didn't want to accept it was true. Blair walked up to her and put her arm around her. And so the two women with the chestnut curls cried for the one person they would both always love.

---

It had been a week since the death of Chuck Bass and Taylor didn't know how she ended up coming from the perfect life to attending the funeral of her beloved father. Everyone she knew and even a few people who she didn't were there. The Humphreys were all there. Serena was bawling her eyes out for her step-brother while Dan comforted her and Valerie and Jake wondered what they were doing there.

The Van Der Woodsens were there. And Louise had been polite enough to invite Phoebe. In fact Taylor had caught a glimpse of Georgina standing outside the graveyard. She was decent enough to pay her respects from afar.

Daphne was there with the two Archibald daughters. Nate hadn't joined them. After Blair had come home the that night at the hospital she had announced that she wanted a divorce and the two hadn't really spoken since.

Margaret and Freddie were there as Taylor's friends. They never really knew Chuck but they were all for supporting their friend.

Vanessa was there. Her husband didn't really like Chuck Bass from the stories he'd heard about him and her son was just too stubborn.

Some of Chuck and Taylor's friends from back in California were there too. They had all traveled across the country to pay their respects.

Even Gossip Girl had payed her respects posting a blast about all the accomplishments of the great Chuck Bass.

And of course Taylor was there. Blair was standing to her left while Joyce was on her right.

Taylor couldn't help but think that it was a beautiful day. Much too nice for a funeral but Blair chose the date so Taylor didn't pay much attention. The priest was saying something but Blair wasn't paying any attention to him either. She knew her father wouldn't have given a crap about what the priest had to say anyway.

Joyce held her hand from beside her. He was discharged from the hospital a few days ago but he was still recovering. He could do most everyday things but he had to keep bandages on his sides causing him to keep perfect posture wherever he went.

Blair stood on the other side of Taylor. She was crying a little. She knew Chuck wouldn't have wanted her to but she just couldn't help herself.

The priest finished saying whatever silly un-Chucklike speech he had prepared and so the crowds started dispersing until eventually it was just Taylor and Blair left standing.

Taylor smirked. Blair knew why, and she knew that Chuck would be proud. Taylor was smirking at the three words carved into the gravestone of her father's grave. They were probably his three most favorite words to say. It didn't matter what situation he was in they always seemed to help him. And so Taylor used his signature smirk as she read the words one more time. Then she and Blair walked away.

And in case you're wondering, the three words are:

_I'm Chuck Bass_.

---

_I can't believe it's over! I've spent so long writing this story and now it's finally finished._

_Poor Chuck! But I think his gravestone was just perfect though!_

_I hope you enjoyed readin this story as much as I enjoyed writing it!_

_-Marina  
_


End file.
